Vick: Ring with Jets would seal legacy (Even if with Geno under center)

[Villain The Foe]

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Michael Vick is in the fourth stage of his career. We've witnessed the rise, the fall and the comeback, and we wonder how it will end for one of the most polarizing athletes in our nation's history. Is there a happily-ever-after in his future? Does he deserve one? 

Vick sat in front of his locker Thursday, pondering the questions. His dream finish, he decided, is to win a championship for the first time in his life. Yes, he believes it could happen with theNew York Jets, but there's a twist. In his football fantasy, he's not the Jets' savior -- and he's OK with that. 

"Me winning a Super Bowl, even if it's not me behind the center," said Vick, describing the ultimate end to his playing days. "If I can walk away from this game with a ring, I'll be so thankful, because I've never won a championship at none of the levels that I've played on. Almost had one in college. I want a ring. 

"I think it can happen this year," he continued. "I think Geno [smith] can take us where we need to go. It'll seal my legacy -- for me, myself. For the public, I don't know." 

As he previously stated, Vick expects Smith to be the Jets' opening-day starter. Evidently, he thinks Smith is ready to make a quantum improvement in his second year, but that remains to be seen. It's quite possible that, at some point, the Jets will turn to Vick, and wouldn't that be a must-see event? 

It happened with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010, when he won NFL Comeback Player of the Year, but this is a new stage with a new audience, and another cynical fan base to win over. He's taking an unselfish approach, painting himself as the wise old mentor, but it doesn't take long into the conversation to sense that Vick absolutely believes he's still got it. 
 

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Mel EvansMichael Vick is at peace with his Jets role because he believes Geno Smith can lead the team to a Super Bowl.

"I revolutionized the game," he said in a wide-ranging interview with ESPN.com. "I changed the way it was played in the NFL." 

But that was when he was a young blur, a freakishly talented two-way threat. Vick, who turns 34 on Thursday, acknowledged he's not that guy anymore. But he doesn't see himself sliding into a rocking chair anytime soon. He still feels he can win a Super Bowl for somebody. 

"I think it's still realistic," he said. "You got guys like Peyton [Manning] and [Tom] Brady and Drew [brees], all 36, 37, 38 years old and still playing. Times have changed. It's all about taking care of your body. ... I still feel like I can move as fast -- not as fast as I could a long time ago, but enough to get away. With that, I can help a football team win games. I can help our football team win games." 

If the quarterback "competition" plays out as expected, Vick will begin the season on the bench, backing up a player -- Smith -- who was 12 years old when Vick won a playoff game on Green Bay's frozen tundra. Just because Vick might be a backup doesn't mean he considers himself one. 

"I still consider myself one of the 32 [top quarterbacks]," he said. "People might want to argue that, but I think there are a lot of people who understand where I come from when I say that. I've been playing at a high level for a long time. 

"Even the last two years when I got hurt, if you look at the résumé before I got hurt, I was playing at a high level. At some point, I'm going to get through 16 games and I'm going to be accountable. My primary focus is to keep my body in shape and keep going." 

Vick added four pounds in the offseason (all muscle, he said), hoping to improve his durability. Only once has he played a full season, and that came in 2006, his final season with the Atlanta Falcons. 

His career -- his life -- started to unravel in the spring of 2007, during an investigation into his involvement in a dogfighting ring in his home state of Virginia. That led to 23 months in a federal prison, costing him a full two seasons and permanently tarnishing his reputation. 

Vick's felonious past was dredged up again in March, when the Jets signed him to a one-year, $4 million contract. The blowback wasn't nearly as severe as it was when he signed with the Eagles in 2009, but it prompted a group in Cortland, New York -- home of the Jets' training camp -- to start a petition aiming to ban him from camp. More than 20,000 signed the online petition. 

Vick said he had no reaction when he heard about it. 

"Why? Why would I? My life has nothing to do with their life and their beliefs," he said. "I mean, what's done is done. Look at all the good. My message to them is, look at the good I've done, all the thousands of lives that I've saved, the people I've saved. That's most important. That's what the focus should be on, the lives that are being affected." 

He was alluding to his charitable foundation, which helps at-risk youth. Just last weekend, Vick held a youth camp and charity softball game in his hometown, Newport News, Virginia. 

"I think 90 percent of the world has [forgiven me]," he said. "I walk around every day and I have no complaints from nobody -- ever." 

Well, there was a recent episode at a Manhattan nightspot, in which Vick was approached by a heckler. The person was immediately removed by security, the entire scene caught on a video that found its way to TMZ.com. Vick called it a misunderstanding. 

"All he was trying to do was show me a picture of his dog, and I thought he was trying to bring up some past history," Vick said. "So I was out of context in that situation. I was like, 'Look, man ...' He just wanted me to look at his dog on the phone. That was my fault. Other than that, it's never happened." 

A public confrontation regarding dogs, he meant. 

"It doesn't bother me," Vick said. "I think we're six or seven years removed from that, and so much has transpired since then in my life. It's something I try not to even think about. I just try to continue to be an advocate against animal cruelty." 

Vick wants the focus to be on football. He's naïve if he thinks fans will forget about his sordid past, but he certainly can change some opinions by succeeding on the field. The Jets' fan base is starved (45 years since Super Bowl III), and it's waiting for someone -- anyone -- to deliver another championship. 

He hopes the fans can embrace him. 

"That's what it's all about, it's all about football," Vick said. "It's all about helping these guys accomplish something that I know they can accomplish, and I think we should let bygones be bygones. Never forget about it, but try to improve amongst it and keep going." 

The Jets are happy with Vick, especially his former coordinator from the Eagles, Marty Mornhinweg, who said his old pupil is "still a dynamic player." Vick is well-respected in the locker room, especially among the younger players, many of whom grew up idolizing him. 

"He's been through life," Smith said. "He's been a guy who's bounced back. One thing that I noticed off the bat from talking to him awhile back is that he's extremely humble. He's a guy that's giving. He has a ton of knowledge and he's trying to give that knowledge to young guys like myself, which is why we all gravitate to him. We all look up to him." 

Vick has been through life, all right. He's made a lot of mistakes -- bad ones -- and if he could somehow turn back the clock and give advice to a young Michael Vick, he'd tell him to change his habits and pick his friends carefully. 

"I've always prided myself on being a mentally strong individual," he said. "I can almost adapt to any situation. There's nothing in my life that I haven't seen."

[Larz]

"I revolutionized the game," he said in a wide-ranging interview with ESPN.com. "I changed the way it was played in the NFL."

 

Jim thorpe would disagree, randall cunningham would lol

[Lizard King]

**** this guy. Can't ever root for this scumbag. Give my dog five minutes with this guy.

[Integrity28]

"I revolutionized the game," he said in a wide-ranging interview with ESPN.com. "I changed the way it was played in the NFL."

 

Jim thorpe would disagree, randall cunningham would lol

 

Vick made it acceptable to have a QB who can't pass, if he can run for a 1,000 yards. Hardly what I'd call revolutionary.

[RutgersJetFan]

"He's been through life."

I love how NFL players are framing sh*t like spousal abuse and animal torture these days. As if those are just the classic trials and tribulations of life that we all face.

[dbatesman]

"He's been through life."

I love how NFL players are framing sh*t like spousal abuse and animal torture these days. As if those are just the classic trials and tribulations of life that we all face.

"Overcoming adversity" FTW

[jgb]

Jets chance to win Super Bowl with geno as starter: 0%

Jets chance to win super bowl with Vick as starter: 1%

[Villain The Foe]

"I revolutionized the game," he said in a wide-ranging interview with ESPN.com. "I changed the way it was played in the NFL."

 

Jim thorpe would disagree, randall cunningham would lol

Truth be told, he did. There's probably no one alive on the planet today that actually seen Jim Thorpe play, and for as good as Randall Cunningham was, it wasn't like he showed up in the 4th qtr for the eagles. Just ask the Giants. 

 

Michael Vick was the first of the future "Colin Kaepernick" type QB's. It wasn't the stats that made him revolutionary, it was how defensive coordinators admitted how they didnt now how to game plan for Vick during his early years. To say that you honestly didnt know how to game plan for one man is revolutionary. Vick caused fits when he entered the league. 

[T0mShane]

"Overcoming adversity" FTW

"A lot of things happened to me but that's in the past now" is my personal favorite, particularly when the event happened three days earlier.

[T0mShane]

Truth be told, he did. There's probably no one alive on the planet today that actually seen Jim Thorpe play, and for as good as Randall Cunningham was, it wasn't like he showed up in the 4th qtr for the eagles. Just ask the Giants.

Michael Vick was the first of the future "Colin Kaepernick" type QB's. It wasn't the stats that made him revolutionary, it was how defensive coordinators admitted how they didnt now how to game plan for Vick during his early years. To say that you honestly didnt know how to game plan for one man is revolutionary. Vick caused fits when he entered the league.

Cunningham drove the Giants insane, even with LT, Marshall, Banks, Belichick, etc. The only way Vick revolutionized the game was by being the first pure running back to take the majority of his snaps at QB. He was often laughably bad as a passer.

[victorjets]

Truth be told, he did. There's probably no one alive on the planet today that actually seen Jim Thorpe play, and for as good as Randall Cunningham was, it wasn't like he showed up in the 4th qtr for the eagles. Just ask the Giants. 

 

Michael Vick was the first of the future "Colin Kaepernick" type QB's. It wasn't the stats that made him revolutionary, it was how defensive coordinators admitted how they didnt now how to game plan for Vick during his early years. To say that you honestly didnt know how to game plan for one man is revolutionary. Vick caused fits when he entered the league.

Kordell Stewart caused fits for defenses too...

[Villain The Foe]

Cunningham drove the Giants insane, even with LT, Marshall, Banks, Belichick, etc. The only way Vick revolutionized the game was by being the first pure running back to take the majority of his snaps at QB. He was often laughably bad as a passer.

Thats all that I'm saying. It was revolutionary at the time.  Vick was able to complete just around 55% of his passes, but he ran a sub 4.3 40 and he was a southpaw with a cannon that was arguably the best in the league when it came to pure zip on a football. During those early years his overall potential was considered limitless and in games when he was "in the zone" the Falcons was virtually unstoppable on offense. 

 

He was a lot like Carson Palmer. Over the years his stats dont seem like a big deal but there were those few games that when everything was clicking he was literally the best QB on the planet on that day. 3 of the 6 years he was in Atlanta there were times where you felt that you were looking at a machine. 

[RutgersJetFan]

"A lot of things happened to me but that's in the past now" is my personal favorite, particularly when the event happened three days earlier.

 

Stallone: "What is this, you come to me and give me speeches about doing the right thing? What is this you're doing?"

 

DeNiro: "That was like two weeks ago."

[Bugg]

Is there anything more pathetic (and Jet-like) than bragging about winning the Super Bowl in June? DO they ever learn? Is there any sense of how far they are from that goal right now?

[Villain The Foe]

Kordell Stewart caused fits for defenses too...

This is true. But he wasn't so awesome at what he did that defensive coordinators said that they didnt know how to game plan for him for years. Also, Stewart's TD/INT ratio was for the most part 1 to 1 and he only ran over 500 yards one time in a season. Vick TD/INT ratio for what he was is pretty good and he never had more INT's than TD's in a season. Stewart ran for 2,800 yards in his entire career. Vick ran for over 1,000 in one season as a QB he ran for over 900, 700 and 675  in other seasons respectively. Vick ran for 600 or more yards for 4 of his first 6 seasons and scored 21 just with his feet, not counting the 71 TD's he threw. Vick during that time was just an incredible athlete. 

[Gastineau Lives]

 He was often laughably bad as a passer.

 

Geno Smith says hello.

[Larz]

Truth be told, he did. There's probably no one alive on the planet today that actually seen Jim Thorpe play, and for as good as Randall Cunningham was, it wasn't like he showed up in the 4th qtr for the eagles. Just ask the Giants. 

 

Michael Vick was the first of the future "Colin Kaepernick" type QB's. It wasn't the stats that made him revolutionary, it was how defensive coordinators admitted how they didnt now how to game plan for Vick during his early years. To say that you honestly didnt know how to game plan for one man is revolutionary. Vick caused fits when he entered the league. 

 

the "running QB" is a misnomer, as the original QB's were often the teams best runner.  after they were specialized as passers, guys like tarkenton, mcniar, flutie, cunningham, young, were "running QB's"

 

vick was just a little faster.   to truly revolutionize the position you should maybe win more than 2 playoff games.

[Larz]

http://sportslistoftheday.com/2011/12/11/sports-list-of-the-day-3/

 

 

 

cliff battles revolutionized the position, truth be told

 

year/career rushing yards/career rushing TD's

 

1. Michael Vick  2001 5,174   32

2. Randall Cunningham 1985  4,928   35

3. Steve Young 1985  4,239   43

4. Fran Tarkenton 1961  3,674   32

5. Steve McNair 1995  3,590   37

6. Cliff Battles  1937 3,511   23

7. Donovan McNabb 1999  3,459   29

8. John Elway 1983  3,407   33

9. Tobin Rote 1950  3,128   37

10. Spec Sanders 1946  2,900   33

11. Kordell Stewart 1995  2,874   38

[Villain The Foe]

the "running QB" is a misnomer, as the original QB's were often the teams best runner.  after they were specialized as passers, guys like tarkenton, mcniar, flutie, cunningham, young, were "running QB's"

 

vick was just a little faster.   to truly revolutionize the position you should maybe win more than 2 playoff games.

A "little faster"??? lol. 

 

Michael Vick if I'm correct clocked in with around the same 40 time as Randy Moss. And playoff wins has nothing do to with the topic because thats a group achievement. We're talking about his raw ability not playoff wins. I know you can differentiate between the two. I prefer you say that you simply dont agree with me than to talk about playoff wins. You know like I know that doesn't mean a thing. You put Colin Kaepernick on the Cleveland browns and that doesn't change the fact that he's a freak of nature who probably would never make the playoffs with the Browns. Kaepernick just so happens to have the best offensive line in football, about 3 #1 type WR's the 3rd best TE in the league a solid stable of running backs and a top 5 defense. So Kaepernick gets to go to the playoffs and win a lot of football games and get high praise. Michael Vick was a revolutionary player, but that of course is my opinion brother, you dont have to agree. Just dont bring up playoffs. 

 

[Larz]

A "little faster"??? lol. 

 

Michael Vick if I'm correct clocked in with around the same 40 time as Randy Moss. And playoff wins has nothing do to with the topic because thats a group achievement. We're talking about his raw ability not playoff wins. I know you can differentiate between the two. I prefer you say that you simply dont agree with me than to talk about playoff wins. You know like I know that doesn't mean a thing. You put Colin Kaepernick on the Cleveland browns and that doesn't change the fact that he's a freak of nature who probably would never make the playoffs with the Browns. Kaepernick just so happens to have the best offensive line in football, about 3 #1 type WR's the 3rd best TE in the league a solid stable of running backs and a top 5 defense. So Kaepernick gets to go to the playoffs and win a lot of football games and get high praise. Michael Vick was a revolutionary player, but that of course is my opinion brother, you dont have to agree. Just dont bring up playoffs. 

 

 

he was the best runner of the dual threat or running QB's, never a doubt about that.  the best runner/passer is between cunningham and young.

 

and he didn't revolutionize anything when you get right down to it.  just had more style

[RutgersJetFan]

he was the best runner of the dual threat or running QB's, never a doubt about that. the best runner/passer is between cunningham and young.

and he didn't revolutionize anything when you get right down to it. just had more style

Vick's the fastest bar none, but I can't even begin to count how many times that got neutralized by how horribly inaccurate he could be. That NFC Championship game against Green Bay he mentioned, all Green Bay did was stick 2 spies on him and dare Vick to beat them with his arm and he couldn't do it.

[Villain The Foe]

he was the best runner of the dual threat or running QB's, never a doubt about that.  the best runner/passer is between cunningham and young.

 

and he didn't revolutionize anything when you get right down to it.  just had more style

aight. I'll live with that. When I look back at his ATL years and I hear how coordinators confirmed that they displayed serious concern when it came to playing the falcons because of the impending embarrassment that Vick could impose on their defense...I think the coaches at that time would say that there was something different about this kid, something that could revolutionize the game. He had that something that would cause other coaches around the league to look for it, so they would look at a dual threat kid from Nevada with a funny last name (Kaepernick) differently, or a former 6'5 Tight End that was converted into a QB (Logan Thomas) with a rocket arm (though inconsistent) and see that with some proper coaching his potential is limitless. Look at a guy from west Virginia that had the traits (Geno Smith). 

 

Michael Vick's ability impacted the game in a revolutionary way because the league responded. I see the result of it today. 

[Thor99]

Is there anything more pathetic (and Jet-like) than bragging about winning the Super Bowl in June? DO they ever learn? Is there any sense of how far they are from that goal right now?

I don't see any bragging about winning the Super Bowl. He's saying that he thinks it's possible.

Is there anything more Jetfan-like than completely making stuff up?

[Larz]

aight. I'll live with that. When I look back at his ATL years and I hear how coordinators confirmed that they displayed serious concern when it came to playing the falcons because of the impending embarrassment that Vick could impose on their defense...I think the coaches at that time would say that there was something different about this kid, something that could revolutionize the game. He had that something that would cause other coaches around the league to look for it, so they would look at a dual threat kid from Nevada with a funny last name (Kaepernick) differently, or a former 6'5 Tight End that was converted into a QB (Logan Thomas) with a rocket arm (though inconsistent) and see that with some proper coaching his potential is limitless. Look at a guy from west Virginia that had the traits (Geno Smith). 

 

Michael Vick's ability impacted the game in a revolutionary way because the league responded. I see the result of it today. 

 

yeah, you have a point.  I'm just such a jim thorpe geek I always bring him up when I can , lol

[Bugg]

I don't see any bragging about winning the Super Bowl. He's saying that he thinks it's possible.

Is there anything more Jetfan-like than completely making stuff up?

Know what my sig is. And it is important to know your goal. But this kind of babble goes too far.

On a properly-coached team such a thing isn't discussed.It's foolish, stupid, arrogant. Herman Edwards talked like that all the time and never won dick. This franchise has no institutional memory and learns nothing from it's mistakes.

[Villain The Foe]

Vick's the fastest bar none, but I can't even begin to count how many times that got neutralized by how horribly inaccurate he could be. That NFC Championship game against Green Bay he mentioned, all Green Bay did was stick 2 spies on him and dare Vick to beat them with his arm and he couldn't do it.

This is my point right here. This is one game, albeit a playoff game. Not every team could do this double spy technique. Vick caused coordinators to really expand themselves in order to keep Vicks raw talent from beating them. Now you have a guy like Colin Kaepernick, he has a slower more unorthodox throwing motion than Vick, but he's much more accurate in comparison. What do you do now with a guy who can not only run but also beat your double spy defense with Boldin, Crabtree, Davis? Granted, Kaepernick is more of a new version of Steve Young, but his running ability leans more towards vick than young, so thats why I use the comparison.

 

 

Vick was an inconsistent passer yes, but that wasn't where he revolutionized the game. He did it with his awareness and vision as a running QB. That fact doesn't change because of a weakness in another area of his game. There are QB's in the league right now starting that may not have even gotten the chance if it wasnt for the potential of such a style of play that Michael Vick showed, and that style was more profound with Vick than a Randall Cunningham because Cunningham wasn't even a better passer than Vick yet people will try to make you believe that he was (they both only completed 56% of their passes in their career). Vick was a much more dangerous and effective runner than Cunningham ever was. Cunningham ran for 4,900 yards in 15 years, while Michael Vick has ran for almost 6,000 yards in 11 years, and thats with him not playing in the 07 and 08 seasons. So anytime someone talks about Vick and you hear about Cunningham or Kordell Stewart just stop and look at the numbers. What Michael Vick was doing from the position had never been done before and I believe that if he didnt go to jail in his prime there's no telling what he would have done during that time. Michael Vick also doesn't get the respect he deserves and its his own fault because of the dog fighting. I believe that plays a lot into it as well. 

[RutgersJetFan]

This is my point right here. This is one game, albeit a playoff game. Not every team could do this double spy technique. Vick caused coordinators to really expand themselves in order to keep Vicks raw talent from beating you. Now you have a guy like Colin Kaepernick, he has a slower more unorthodox throwing motion than Vick, but he's much more accurate in comparison. What do you do now with a guy who can not only run but also beat your double spy defense with Boldin, Crabtree, Davis? Granted, Kaepernick is more of a new version of Steve Young, but his running ability leans more towards vick than young, so thats why I use the comparison.

 

 

Vick was an inconsistent passer yes, but that wasn't where he revolutionized the game. He did it with his awareness and vision as a running QB. That fact doesn't change because of a weakness in another area of his game. There are QB's in the league right now starting that may not have even gotten the chance if it wasnt for the potential of such a style of play that Michael Vick showed, and that style was more profound with Vick than a Randall Cunningham because Cunningham wasn't even a better passer than Vick yet people will try to make you believe that he was (they both only completed 56% of their passes in their career). Vick was a much more dangerous and effective running than Cunningham ever was. Cunningham ran for 4,900 yards in 15 years, while Michael Vick has ran for almost 6,000 yards in 11 years, and thats with him not playing in the 07 and 08 seasons. So anytime someone talks about Vick and you hear about Cunningham or Kordell Stewart just stop and look at the numbers. What Michael Vick was doing from the position had never been done before and I believe that if he didnt go to jail in his prime there's no telling what he would have done during that time. Michael Vick also doesn't get the respect he deserves and its his own fault because of the dog fighting. I believe that plays a lot into it as well. 

 

I understand that you have gone to great lengths with your word count and pro football reference research in this thread, and I respect the effort, but almost everything you have argued is wholly hyperbolic and naive.

[Villain The Foe]

yeah, you have a point.  I'm just such a jim thorpe geek I always bring him up when I can , lol

I never studied Thorpe. I always heard about him in elementary/junior high. but I always viewed him as some sort of olympian, not a football player. lol.

[Villain The Foe]

I understand that you have gone to great lengths with your word count and pro football reference research in this thread, and I respect the effort, but almost everything you have argued is wholly hyperbolic and naive.

How dare you defeat me so concisely. 

[Villain The Foe]

I understand that you have gone to great lengths with your word count and pro football reference research in this thread, and I respect the effort, but almost everything you have argued is wholly hyperbolic and naive.

Ahh, I'm still waiting for you to elaborate on this. Just please keep it under 150 characters lol. 

[Clementi49]

Mike Vick was an awesome QB. No way around it. I hate when people try and down grade what others do just so they can attempt to make a good point. Stats or not , Vick in his prime is better than most. Period.

With that said I want Geno to start hands down. But again, an aging Vinny came in here in 1998 and changed the thinking of a journeyman.

[Larz]

I never studied Thorpe. I always heard about him in elementary/junior high. but I always viewed him as some sort of olympian, not a football player. lol.

 

he would beat college teams (the pinnacle of football in those days) literally with himself and 10 kids off the reservation.  teams like princeton.  he was also a baseball player.  before athletes were paid, worked out and were nutrition guru's, the was the best "natural athlete" evah

[RutgersJetFan]

Ahh, I'm still waiting for you to elaborate on this. Just please keep it under 150 characters lol.

Mike Vick much fast so he gain yards. Football still such same.

[T0mShane]

Mike Vick was an awesome QB. No way around it. I hate when people try and down grade what others do just so they can attempt to make a good point. Stats or not , Vick in his prime is better than most. Period.

With that said I want Geno to start hands down. But again, an aging Vinny came in here in 1998 and changed the thinking of a journeyman.

All kinds of Gatoscience here

[RutgersJetFan]

All kinds of Gatoscience here

Needs more Orwell misquotes.