Michael Vick

Michael Vick

Vick at the 2006 Pro Bowl.
Atlanta Falcons
Career information
College:	Virginia Tech
NFL draft:	2001 / round: 1 / pick: 1
Career history
Atlanta Falcons (2001–present)
Roster status:	Suspended
Career highlights and awards
1999 Archie Griffin Award Winner 3× Pro Bowl selection (2002, 2004, 2006) Other Awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2008
TD-INT: 71–52 Passing yards: 11,505 QB Rating: 75.7 Rushing yards: 3,859 Rushing touchdowns: 21

Michael Dwayne Vick
Born	Michael Vick
Status	In custody at USP Leavenworth. Sentence expires on 2009-07-20; Vick will be moved into home confinement on 2009-05-21.
Other names	Ookie, Ron Mexico
Occupation	American football quarterback
Parent(s)	Michael Boddie, Brenda Vick
Conviction(s)	(Federal) Felony conspiracy in interstate commerce/aid of unlawful animal fighting venture (Title 18, USC, Section 371); (Virginia) Felony dogfighting, 3 years in prison and $2500 fine
Criminal penalty	(Federal) 23 months in prison (sentence expires 2009-07-20 with 15% time off for good behavior), three years probation following release; (Virginia) fine and prison time suspended upon condition of good behavior for 4 years beginning November 2008

Michael Vick (born June 26, 1980, in Newport News, Virginia) is a professional American football player under contract to the National Football League (NFL)'s Atlanta Falcons as quarterback. A stand-out high school football player, Vick received a football scholarship to play for the Virginia Tech Hokies. However, he left college after only two years and was selected as the first overall draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. He gained wide popularity for performance on the field, landing record-setting player contracts and lucrative commercial product endorsement deals. By 2006, he was "reportedly one of the top ten richest athletes in the United States."

Beginning in April 2007, discovery of his role as "the key figure" of an extensive unlawful interstate dogfighting ring operating over a period of five years and details of gambling and extreme brutality led to massive negative publicity and separate federal and state felony charges and convictions under plea agreements, as well as payment of approximately $1 million for care and rehabilitation of some of the dogs. He has been under suspension from play by the NFL since August 2007 after pleading guilty to one of the federal felony charges and admitting his personal participation. In December 2007, he was sentenced to serve a 23 month federal prison term; 3 years of prison time in Virginia on other charges was suspended upon condition of good behavior.

With loss of his substantial NFL and product endorsement income, Vick filed for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy protection in July 2008, with liabilities of $20.5 million and assets of $16 million. His initial bankruptcy reorganization plan was heard on April 2-3, 2009. Judge Frank J. Santoro calculated that Vick would have had only 21% of the funds on hand required to begin his plan, and would need a minimum of $200,000 annually to meet planned living expenses. Vick has lined up a firm $10 per hour construction job. As he had shown the court only slightly more than 10% of that amount in commitments for gross income, the judge rejected the plan as unsound, concluding "Your plan actually puts you below zero."

Judge Santoro suggested Vick create a more feasible plan by selling one or both of his 2 large Virginia homes (valued at a combined $3 million) and three luxury vehicles which he had planned to keep, and "buy a house more within his means." In a status hearing with the lawyers on April 28, some progress on a new plan incorporating some of the judge's suggestions had been made, but the plan would still require a substantial income to be feasible. The judge set June 9 to receive and consider the revised plan.

Vick's possible return to the NFL depends upon many things. Commissioner Roger Goodell says he will consider lifting his suspension after Vick completes his federal prison sentence, projected as July 20, 2009. Goodell will then want to know that Vick understands the mistakes he made, has "genuine remorse for those actions", and is prepared to "handle himself differently going forward. That will ultimately be my decision." . Falcons owner Arthur Blank has ruled out a return to playing for his team, but Vick's agent plans to seek a lucrative contract with another team. Vick, who has reportedly exercised while in prison, told the court he feels that physically he may anticipate 10-12 more years of play, an optimistic projection to some observers. In general, speculation and opinions about Vick's possible return to professional football and teams that might would consider hiring him continued to be both widespread and varied as his attorneys worked to meet the June 9 deadline.

Childhood

Vick is second of four children (including older sister Christina ("Niki") and younger siblings Marcus and Courtney) born in Newport News, Virginia, to Brenda Vick and Michael Boddie, then unmarried teenagers. His mother worked two jobs, obtained some public financial assistance, and had help from her parents, while his father worked long hours in the shipyards as a sandblaster and spray-painter. They were married when Michael was about five years old, but the children elected to continue to use their "Vick" surname. The family lived in the "Ridley Circle Homes," a public housing project in a financially depressed and crime-ridden neighborhood located in the East End section of the port city. It is an area known in hip hop culture by the slang names "Bad News" or "Bad Newz" according to the Urban Dictionary. A 2007 newspaper article published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch noted "not much changed" by observations of local people almost ten years after Michael Vick left. One resident said that there were drug dealing, drive-by shootings and other killings in the neighborhood, then suggested that sports were a way out and a dream for many.

In a 2001 interview, Vick told the Newport News Daily Press that when he was 10 or 11, "I would go fishing even if the fish weren't biting, just to get out of there" and away from the violence and stress of daily life in the projects. Even though the area is, by all accounts, troubled, several people interviewed did not believe that dog fighting was a local activity.

Early athletic career

During the early years of his family, Michael Boddie’s employment required a lot of travel, but he taught football skills to his two sons at an early age. Michael Vick was only three years old when his father, nicknamed "Bullet" for his blinding speed during his own playing days on the gridiron, began teaching him the fundamentals. He also taught younger brother Marcus.

As he grew up, Michael Vick, who as a child went by the nickname "Ookie" also learned a lot about football from a second cousin four years older, Aaron Brooks. Vick and Brooks both spent a lot of time as youths at the local Boys and Girls Club. As a 10-year-old throwing three touchdown passes in a Boys Club league, his apparent football talents led coaches and his parents to keep a special watch over Vick.

Vick told Sporting News magazine in an interview published April 9, 2001: "Sports kept me off the streets.... It kept me from getting into what was going on, the bad stuff. Lots of guys I knew have had bad problems."

High school

Vick first came to prominence while at Homer L. Ferguson High School in Newport News. As a freshman, he impressed many with his athletic ability, throwing for over 400 yards in a game that year. Ferguson High School was closed in 1996 as part of a Newport News Public Schools building modernization program. Vick, as a sophomore, and coach Tommy Reamon both moved to Warwick High School.

At Warwick High School, under Coach Reamon's tutelage, Vick was a three-year starter for the Raiders, passing for 4,846 yards with 43 touchdowns during his career. He once ran for six touchdowns and threw for three touchdowns in a single game. He also added 1,048 yards and 18 scores on the ground. As a senior, he passed for 1,668 yards, accounting for ten passing plus ten rushing touchdowns.

Coach Reamon, who had helped guide Aaron Brooks from Newport News to the University of Virginia earlier, helped Michael with his SAT tests, and helped him and his family choose between Syracuse University and Virginia Tech. Reamon favored Virginia Tech, where he felt better guidance was available under Coach Frank Beamer, who promised to redshirt him and provide the freshman needed time to develop. Reamon sold Michael on the school's proximity to family and friends, and apparently following his advice, Vick chose to attend Virginia Tech and play football as a Hokie.

As he left the Newport News public housing projects in 1998, "on the wings of a college football scholarship," Michael Vick was seen in the Newport News (and close-by Hampton) community of the lower Virginia Peninsula as a "success story." In a story published in September 2000, while his son Michael was at Virginia Tech, Michael Boddie told the university's Collegiate Times: "Ever since he learned to throw a football, he's always liked throwing a ball...It's just in his blood." He added that his son had never gotten into trouble or ... involved with drugs, adding: "I like the way he has developed, not only as a player but as a person."

College career

After high school, Michael Vick attended Virginia Tech. In his first collegiate game as a redshirt freshman against James Madison in 1999, he scored three rushing touchdowns in just over one quarter of play. His last touchdown was a spectacular flip in which he landed awkwardly on his ankle, forcing him to miss the remainder of the game in addition to the following game. During the season, Vick led a last-minute game-winning drive against West Virginia in the annual Black Diamond Trophy rivalry game. He led the Hokies to an 11–0 season and to the Bowl Championship Series national title game in the Nokia Sugar Bowl against Florida State. Although Virginia Tech lost 46–29, Vick was able to bring the team back from a 21 point deficit to take a brief lead. During the season, Vick appeared on the cover of an ESPN The Magazine issue.

External image
Vick on the Cover of Sports Illustrated

Vick led the NCAA in passing efficiency that year, setting a record for a freshman (180.4), which was also good enough for the third-highest all-time mark (Colt Brennan holds the record at 185.9 from his 2006 season at Hawaii). Vick was awarded an ESPY Award as the nation's top college player, and won the first-ever Archie Griffin Award as college football's most valuable player. He was invited to the 1999 Heisman Trophy presentation and finished third in the voting behind Ron Dayne and Joe Hamilton. Vick's third-place finish matched the highest finish ever by a freshman up to that point, first set by Herschel Walker in 1980 (Adrian Peterson has since broken that mark, finishing second in 2004).

Lane Stadium, where Vick played his college games.

Vick's 2000 season did have its share of highlights, such as his career rushing high of 210 yards against the Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Against West Virginia University in the Black Diamond Trophy game, Vick accounted for 288 total yards of offense and two touchdowns in a 48&nash;20 win. The following week, Vick led the Hokies back from a 14-0 deficit against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome—where the Hokies had not won since 1986. Vick put the game away with a 55-yard run with 1:34 left.

The following game against Pittsburgh, Vick was injured and had to miss the rest of that game, the entire game against Central Florida, and was unable to start against the Miami Hurricanes—the Hokies' lone loss of the season. Vick's final game at Virginia Tech came against the Clemson Tigers in the Toyota Gator Bowl, where he was named MVP of the game.

Although he had a four-year paid scholarship, with the opportunity to play professionally and the related huge financial benefits as an option, Vick elected to leave Virginia Tech after his redshirt sophomore season to become a professional football player. Aware that the rest of his family was still living in their 3 bedroom apartment in the Ridley Circle Homes, a public housing project, Michael Vick stated that he was going to buy his mother "a home and a car." ESPN later reported that Michael used some of his NFL and endorsement earnings to buy his mother a brand-new house in an upscale section of Suffolk, Virginia.

Statistics

Year	Comp	Att	Comp %	Passing	TD	INT	Carries	Rushing	TD
1999	90	153	58.8	1840	12	5	110	580	8
2000	97	179	54.2	1439	9	7	113	636	9

Professional career

NFL Draft

Vick scans the field against the Saints.

Vick was selected in the 2001 NFL Draft as the first overall draft pick and was the first African American quarterback ever taken number 1 in the NFL Draft. The San Diego Chargers had the number one selection spot in the draft that year but traded the rights to the first overall choice to the Atlanta Falcons a day before the draft, for which they received the Falcons' first round pick (5th overall) and third round pick in 2001 (used to draft CB Tay Cody), a second round pick in 2002 (used to draft WR Reche Caldwell) and WR/KR Tim Dwight. With the Chargers' downgraded spot (the 5th overall), they selected Texas Christian University running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who went on to become league MVP in 2006 (although Vick has never become league MVP, he finished second in voting in 2004). In this way, Tomlinson and Vick are linked as having been "traded" for each other, although the transaction was actually the result of traded draft picks and contract negotiations. Vick was also drafted in the 30th round of the 2000 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies, despite not playing baseball at Virginia Tech.

Vick owns several NFL records, including the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season (1,039 in 2006), highest average per carry in a single season (8.45 in 2006), 100-yard career rushing games by a quarterback (eight), best two-game rushing total (225 in 2004) and rushing yards in a single game (173 in 2002).

His 1,039 rushing yards and 8.4 average yards per carry in 2006 marked NFL records for a quarterback in a single season.

Became the first quarterback in NFL history to tally more than four career 100-yard rushing games as he has now collared eight such contests in his career.

Vick and teammate RB Warrick Dunn (1,140) became the first quarterback/running back duo to each surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a single season, and one of only five teammates to accomplish the feat in NFL history, with the latest being New York Giants' running backs Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward in 2008.

Enters the 2007 season ranked third among quarterbacks for rushing yards (3,859) in NFL history.

Vick's 2,474 passing yards in 2006 moved his career totals to 11,505 yards, which ranks fourth all-time in Falcons history.

Michael Vick drops back to pass against the Lions.

With seven wins in 2005, Vick surpassed Chris Chandler (34) to move into second place on the Falcons all-time career wins list for quarterbacks. Only Steve Bartkowski (55) has won more games for the team.

Earned his second consecutive and third overall Pro Bowl nod in 2005 as he passed for 2,412 yards and 16 touchdowns in addition to leading all NFL quarterbacks with 597 rushing yards and six scores.

Named to the second Pro Bowl of his career after leading the Falcons to their third division title in team history and breaking numerous NFL and team records in 2004.

Set an NFL postseason record for a quarterback with 119 rushing yards in the 2004 NFC Divisional Playoff win against the Rams.

Became the first quarterback to ever throw for more than 250 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game at the Broncos (10/31/04).

Named the NFC Offensive Player the Week on two separate occasions in 2004.

Early NFL career

Vick made his NFL debut at San Francisco on September 9, 2001 and saw limited action. He completed his first NFL pass with an 18-yard strike to WR Tony Martin in the second quarter vs. Carolina on September 23 and first NFL touchdown on a two-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter to help the Falcons to a 24–16 victory. Vick made his first career start at Dallas on November 11 and threw the first touchdown pass of his career on a nine-yard toss to TE Alge Crumpler in a 20–13 victory. In his two starts of the eight games played that season, Vick completed 50 of 113 passes for 785 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, including accounting for 234 of the team's 255 yards at the team’s season finale at St. Louis on January 6, 2002. He also rushed 29 times for 289 yards (9.9 avg.) and one touchdown.

In 2002, Vick became a star and MVP candidate in his first season as a full-time starter at the age of 22. He was named to his first Pro Bowl after starting all 15 games played, only missing a game to the New York Giants on October 13 due to a sprained shoulder. He completed 231 of 421 passes for 2,936 yards (both career-highs) and 16 touchdowns, while he also tallied 113 carries for 777 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. In this season, Vick established numerous single-game career-highs, including passes completed with 24 and pass attempts with 46 at Pittsburgh on November 10, as well as passing yards with 337 vs. Detroit on December 22. He also completed a career-long 74 yards for a touchdown to WR Trevor Gaylor vs. New Orleans on November 17. Vick registered an NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single a game with 173 yards at Minnesota on December 1. Vick also tied for third in team history for the lowest interception percentage in a season at 1.90 and continued a streak of consecutive passes without an interception that began at St. Louis on January 6, 2002 in the season-finale of the 2001 season and extended to the first quarter vs. Baltimore on November 3, 2002. His streak covered 25 straight quarters and 177 passes without an interception. On January 1, 2003, Vick led the Atlanta Falcons to an upset victory over the heavily favored Green Bay 27–7 in the NFC playoffs, ending the Packers' undefeated playoff record at Lambeau Field. The Falcons would later lose 20–6 to the Donovan McNabb-led Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional playoff game.

2003–2006 seasons

During a pre-season game against the Baltimore Ravens on August 16, Vick suffered a fractured right fibula and missed the first 11 games of the regular season. In Week 13, Vick made his season debut in relief of QB Doug Johnson in the third quarter at Houston on November 30, completing 8 of 11 passes for 60 yards and recording 16 rushing yards on three carries. He posted his first start of the season vs. Carolina on December 7 and amassed the third-highest rushing total by a quarterback in NFL history with 141 yards on 14 carries and one score to lead the Falcons to a come-from-behind 21–14 overtime victory.

The Georgia Dome, where Vick played home games

The 141 yards trail Tobin Rote's 150 yards on November 18, 1951 with Green Bay and his own NFL record of 173 at Minnesota December 1, 2002 on the NFL's all-time list for quarterbacks. He also completed 16 of 33 passes for 179 yards and accounted for 320 of the team's 380 total yards worth of offense. On December 20, Vick engineered a 30–28 victory at Tampa Bay completing 8 of 15 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns for a passer rating of 119.2. Vick closed out the season with a 21–14 victory vs. Jacksonville on December 28, where he completed 12 of 22 passes for 180 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Ending the season starting four of five games played, Vick completed 50 of 100 passes for 585 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions and also rushing 40 times for 255 yards and one touchdown while guiding the Falcons to a 3–1 record in the final four weeks of action.

In 2004, Named to his second Pro Bowl after starting 15 games, completing 181 of 321 passes for 2,313 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Also rushed 120 times for 902 yards and three scores. His 902 rushing yards ranked third all-time by NFL QBs. Only Bobby Douglass (Chi, 1972) and Randall Cunningham (Phi, 1990) had more. His 7.5 yards per carry ranked highest among all NFL players.

Only Randall Cunningham and Steve Young have more rushing yards at the quarterback position than Vick. He is also first among QB's all-time in rushing yards per game, at 53.5 yards per game. Vick also holds several NFL quarterback rushing records, including most rushing yards in one game (173), most 100-yard rushing games (7), and most rushing yards in a single season (1,039).

Endorsements

During his NFL career, Vick became a spokesperson for many companies; his endorsement contracts have included Nike, EA Sports, Coca-Cola, Powerade, Kraft, Rawlings, Hasbro and AirTran. His contract along with his endorsements had Vick ranked 33 among Forbes' Top 100 Celebrities in 2005.

However, just two years later, he was not even listed on the most recent Forbes Top 100 Celebrities. Even before the animal cruelty case surfaced in 2007, Vick's corporate status had deteriorated, apparently due to extensive "bad press." Among the negative incidents cited by observers of this was his middle finger gesture to Atlanta football fans in 2006.

His endorsement deals with at least six companies (Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Kraft Foods, Hasbro and AirTran) have expired over the past few years and have not been renewed. His deals with Nike and several others were suspended after the negative dog fighting publicity and details of Vick's personal involvement spread in 2007.

Suspension by the NFL

Hours after Vick plead guilty to federal charges in the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation under a plea agreement which outlined gruesome details regarding treatment of the dogs, the NFL suspended him indefinitely without pay. In a letter to Vick, Commissioner Roger Goodell said that Vick had admitted to conduct that was "not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible." While Vick is technically a first-time offender under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, Goodell handed down a harsher suspension because Vick admitted that he provided most of the money for the gambling side of the operation. The NFL does not allow its players to be involved in any form of gambling, and even first-time offenders risk being banned for life. However, Goodell did leave open the possibility of reinstating Vick depending on how well he cooperated with federal and state authorities.

Earlier, Goodell had barred Vick from reporting to training camp while the league conducted its own investigation into the matter. Any chance of Vick playing a down in the NFL in 2007 were all but wiped out at his July 26 arraignment, as the terms of his bail barred him from leaving Virginia for any reason before the trial.

On August 27, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a press conference that the Falcons would seek to recover a portion of Vick's signing bonus. He also said the team had no immediate plans to cut ties with Vick, citing salary-cap issues. It initially appeared that Goodell had cleared the way for the Falcons to release Vick, since he ruled that Vick's involvement in gambling activity breached his contract. On August 29, the Falcons sent a letter to Vick demanding that he reimburse them for $20 million of the $37 million bonus. The case was sent to arbitration, and on October 10, an arbitrator ruled that Vick had to reimburse the Falcons for $19.97 million. The arbitrator agreed with the Falcons' contentions that Vick knew he was engaging in illegal activity when he signed his new contract in 2004, and that he'd even used the bonus money to pay for the operation.

Possible future in football

The prospects of Vick returning to play professional football were the subject of much conjecture. After his suspension, the most serious obstacles were clearly the length of imprisonment and possible impact of probationary restrictions afterward. Vick's federal prison sentence is currently set to expire July 20, 2009, although the final two months will be spent in home confinement. The Virginia charges he faced were resolved in late 2008 with a suspended sentence.

There are other issues that could factor into whether Vick gets another opportunity in professional football. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he will consider Vick's reinstatement to the NFL only after Vick had completed his federal prison sentence. Even then, Goodell will clearly face some negative pressures from some animal-rights forces. In January 2009, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk was quoted in Vick's hometown Newport News Daily Press: "Saying sorry and getting his ball back after being caught enjoying killing dogs in hideously cruel ways for many years doesn't cut it. Commissioner Goodell knows that he has an obligation to the league and to millions of fans, including children who look up to ballplayers as idols ..." On March 26, 2009, USA Today reported that had stated that Vick must show "genuine remorse" before he will be allowed to play in NFL again. "He's going to have to demonstrate to the larger community — not just to the NFL community and to me — that he has remorse for what he did and that he recognizes mistakes that he made."

At an NFL league owners meeting on October 14, 2008, Falcons owner Arthur Blank, told ESPN he would like to see Vick play in the NFL again, but ruled out a return to the Falcons. Blank stated that the Falcons had "turned the page, turned the chapter and closed the book," having taken Matt Ryan to be the team's new quarterback. In an interview with NBC Sport commentator Graham Bensinger published in January 2009, Blank reflected on the fact that Vick initially lied to him, "our coaching staff and a number of other people in our organization that he wasn't personally involved." Blank described his reaction when it didn't turn out that way as "shock, disappointment, and obviously a certain degree of anger as well." He added, "Hopefully, after spending a couple years in jail, he’ll come out a different person."

In February 2009, the Falcons, to whom Vick is still under contract until 2013 (although currently suspended) revealed that they were exploring trade scenarios to another NFL club for Vick. Team general manager Thomas Dimitroff pointed out that NFL rules allow teams to trade the contractual rights of suspended players.

ESPN's John Clayton has also said that few general managers are in a strong enough position to consider taking a chance on Vick, and even then most NFL owners would be concerned about a fan and media backlash.

The Canadian Football League is not a realistic possibility as in 2007 it banned players currently suspended by the NFL. Even if Vick's suspension were lifted, it is nearly impossible for a convicted felon to get a Canadian work visa. A career in the Arena Football League, which does not normally honor NFL suspensions, would have been a possibility should Vick be further suspended for the 2009 season, however, the AFL has suspended all play for the 2009 season, citing financial issues. The new United Football League is also said to be interested in Vick. In August 2008, UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue said Vick's chances of playing in his league in 2009 are "98 percent".

Due to the extreme physical demands and the affects of human aging, the career longevity of NFL players (and most other athletes) is by nature limited to a shorter time than many other occupations. There has been widespread speculation about Vick's physical conditioning and retention of skills after almost two years away from active participation. However, he reportedly has stayed in good physical condition during his federal incarceration, working out and playing basketball. He also did work some physical work as an inmate, earning less than a dollar a day (before taxes).

During his incarceration, Vick's financial condition was rapidly deteriorating due to virtually having no income and substantial ongoing expenses for attorneys, maintaining at least 6 luxury homes in Virginia, Georgia, and Florida, providing living expenses and about 10 vehicles for friends and relatives. With debts millions of dollars in excess of assets, and facing judgments and collection efforts by some of the creditors, his attorneys filed for federal bankruptcy protection under Chapter 13 on his behalf in in July 2008.

Vick's Initial Reorganization Plan submitted to the Bankruptcy Court in the Spring of 2009, with his release from federal custody due in about 4 months. The plan relied upon Vick again earning a very substantial income as a professional football player, which he could not assure the court. Testifying on April 3 in Newport News, Vick told the bankruptcy court judge that he believes he can play pro football for another 10 years. His agent, Joel Segal, testified that he hopes to secure Vick a well-paying contract to play football with another NFL team after his suspension is lifted and after the Falcons release him from his current contract to trade it to another team.

Vick wanted to start the bankruptcy plan May 1, 2009, but could only demonstrate a commitment for a construction job paying approximately $20,000 per year arranged by the rector of Virginia Tech, an old friend and long-time supporter. However, his plan, even after divesting many assets, would have required at least $200,000 annually to maintain two of the homes in Virginia, 3 expensive vehicles, and continue to provide a comfortable living for a number of people as he has been, notably his mother, brother, a former girlfriend and their son, and his fiancee and their two children. The plan was rejected by Judge Frank Santoro on April 3, who said the numbers simply didn't work. He agreed to allow Vick time to plan a much more modest plan. Santoro will meet with attorneys on April 28 for an update session. (see also section below for bankruptcy and related financial details)

Incidents, criminal troubles

Shorty after Vick came to Atlanta, he had a chance encounter with Andrew Young, a black member of the Falcons' board of directors and an ordained minister. During his long career, Andrew Young had served as an aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and as Atlanta's mayor. Young later recalled for Sports Illustrated in a 2007 article that he had concerns that Vick hadn't joined a local church, and hung out almost exclusively with friends from his hometown of Newport News.

In their brief talk back in August 2002, Young told Vick that being a star is a burden and that he needed to surround himself with smart, trustworthy people. Young felt that Vick should begin socializing with prominent African-Americans from Atlanta who could provide advice on handling life in the public spotlight. However, he noted that Vick continued to head back home at almost every opportunity and continued to socialize almost exclusively with friends connected to the old neighborhood, some of whom would later be complicit in his crimes. It was a behavior Young later labeled "ghetto loyalty". Vick never embraced the Atlanta community, and never attended the local church Young had recommended. Over the next five years, Young said he attempted to steer Vick toward a church near Newport News that he hoped Vick would attend, without success.

Young told Sports Illustrated that he feels that he reached out to Vick at a pivotal moment in Vick's maturation, but "everything I tried failed."

Vick's legal troubles which were to follow almost entirely involved his old circle of friends from the old neighborhood back in Virginia. Warnings from his mother and coach in Atlanta went unheeded even as minor incidents began occurring.

Early incidents

Between his selection by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft and early 2007, Vick was allegedly involved several incidents or events:

• In 2007, conflicting statements were made by his estranged parents about possible dogfighting activities in 2001. Michael Boddie, his father, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that around 2001, Michael Vick was staging dogfights in the garage of the family's home in Newport News and kept fighting dogs in the family's backyard, including injured ones which the father nursed back to health. Boddie said his son had been urged to not engage in the activity, but continued. He stated "This is Mike's thing. And he knows it." Within days, Michael Vick's mother, Brenda Vick Boddie, told the Newport News Daily Press "There was no dogfighting [at our home]. There were no cages."
• In early 2004, two men were arrested in Virginia for distributing marijuana. The truck they were driving was registered to Michael Vick. Falcons coach Dan Reeves recalled that he lectured Vick at that time on the importance of reputation, on choosing the right friends, on staying out of trouble for the good of his team. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Reeves as having told Vick: "You are an Atlanta Falcon...Whatever you do is going to be a reflection on all of us, not just you."
• On October 10, 2004, Vick and the other members of his party including employee Quanis Phillips were at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport on their way to board an AirTran flight. While they were passing through a security checkpoint with Vick, a security camera caught Phillips and Todd Harris picking up an expensive-appearing watch (either a Rolex or a fake) which belonged to Alvin Spencer, a security screener. After watching the theft on a video tape, Spencer filed a police report. However, he claimed that Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, known as the Falcons' "fixer", interfered with the investigation. Although Vick representatives declined to make him available for an Atlanta police inquiry, six days later Spencer did get the watch back from them, according to the Washington Post.
• In March 2005, Sonya Elliott filed a civil lawsuit against Vick alleging she contracted genital herpes from him in the autumn of 2002, and that he failed to inform her that he had the disease. Elliot further alleged that Vick had visited clinics under the alias "Ron Mexico" to get treatments and thus he knew of his condition. On April 24, 2006 Vick's attorney, Lawrence Woodward, revealed that the lawsuit had been settled out of court under undisclosed terms. Many fans bought custom jerseys from NFL.com with Vick's number 7 and the name "MEXICO" on the back, as a reference to his lawsuit. The NFL has since banned customizing jerseys with the name Mexico.
• November 26, 2006 – After a Falcons loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Georgia Dome, in apparent reaction to fans booing, Vick made an obscene gesture at fans, holding up two middle fingers. He was fined $10,000 by the NFL and agreed to donate another $10,000 to charity.
• January 17, 2007 – Vick surrendered a water bottle which had a hidden compartment to security personnel at Miami International Airport. "The compartment was hidden by the bottle's label so that it appeared to be a full bottle of water when held upright," police said. Test results indicated there were no illegal substances in the water bottle and Vick was cleared of any wrongdoing. Vick announced that the water bottle was a jewelry stash box, and that the substance in question had been jewelry.
• On Tuesday, April 24, 2007, Michael Vick was scheduled to lobby on Capitol Hill, hoping to persuade lawmakers to increase funding for after-school programs. However, Vick missed a connecting flight in Atlanta on Monday to Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. He later failed to show-up for another seat booked for him later that evening. On Tuesday morning, he did not attend his scheduled appearance at the congressional breakfast where he also was to be honored for his foundation's work with after-school projects in Georgia and Virginia. Vick's mother, Brenda Vick Boddie, accepted an award from the Afterschool Alliance on her son's behalf.

Dog fighting investigations

Main article: Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation

A search warrant executed on April 25, 2007 as part of a drug investigation of Vick's cousin Davon Boddie led to discovery of evidence of unlawful dog fighting activities at a property owned by Vick in rural Surry County in southeastern Virginia with extensive facilities which had apparently been developed for that purpose. Widespread media publicity quickly gained momentum as state officials investigated, soon joined by federal authorities and their own investigation. As the separate state and federal investigations progressed, more and more details of the 6 year-long operations of an interstate dog fighting ring were revealed, with some portions involving drugs and gambling. Gruesome details involving abuse, torture and execution of under-performing dogs galvanized animal rights activists and expressions of public outrage. Vick and several others were subsequently indicted on both federal and Virginia felony charges related to the operation.

Federal criminal prosecution

Speech made to U.S. Senate Following the Indictment of Michael Vick on federal Dog-fighting Charges

In July 2007, Vick and three other men were charged by federal authorities with felony charges of operating an unlawful six-year long interstate dog fighting venture known as "Bad Newz Kennels" at Vick's 15-acre property in Surry County, Virginia. Vick was accused of financing the operation, directly participating in dog fights and executions, and personally handling thousands of dollars in related gambling activities. Federal prosecutors indicated they intended to proceed under the powerful provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.

See also: Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act

Plea agreements, convictions

By August 20, Vick and each of the other three co-defendants had agreed to separate plea bargains for the federal charges. They were expected to each receive federal prison sentences between 12 months and a maximum of five years.

On August 24, Vick filed his plea documents with the federal court. He pled guilty to "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture". In addition, he admitted to providing most of the financing for the operation itself, as well as participating directly in several dog fights in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina. He also admitted to sharing in the proceeds from these dog fights. He further admitted that he knew his colleagues killed several dogs who didn't perform well enough. However, while he admitted to providing most of the money for gambling on the fights, he denied placing any side bets on the dogfights. He also denied actually killing any dogs himself. ESPN obtained copies of the documents under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act and made them available at:

• Vick federal guilty plea
• Vick federal statement of facts

On August 27, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted Vick's guilty plea. In the scheduled December 10 sentencing, Vick faced a maximum of 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and 3 years of supervised release. Prosecutors asked Hudson to sentence Vick to 12–18 months (the minimum amount possible under federal sentencing guidelines) if Vick cooperated with the government as he had agreed to do in the terms of the original plea agreement. The terms of the plea agreement include a clause in which Vick forfeits his right to appeal any sentence imposed upon him. Though prosecutors asked for a lower-end sentence for Vick, Hudson could still increase the sentence up to the maximum limits; Hudson had in fact informed two co-defendants--Peace and Phillips--that the brutality in killing the dogs warranted exceeding the guidelines in their cases.

A significant portion of the plea agreement involved Vick cooperating with Federal authorities pursuing other dog fighting cases as well as a complete allocution on his role in the Bad Newz Kennels, including detailing his role in the killing of dogs after the fights. The allocution proved to be a "sticking point," as both Federal prosecutors and FBI agents reported that Vick was giving contradictory statements about how dogs were killed, what his role in the killings were, how many dogs were killed, and other details. According to reporters who spoke to Judge Hudson after the sentencing hearing, Vick's pre-sentencing behavior, especially during an FBI polygraph administered in October 2007 which showed that Vick was being deceptive when asked direct questions about killing dogs, was a factor in selecting the length of the sentence.

Failed drug test while free on bail

While free on bail, Vick tested positive for marijuana in a random drug test. This is a violation of the conditions of his release while awaiting sentencing in federal court for his felony conviction. Vick's positive urine sample was submitted September 13, 2007, according to a document by a federal probation officer that was filed in U.S. District Court on September 26.

As a result, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ordered Vick confined to his Hampton, Virginia home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring until his court hearing date in December. He also was ordered to submit to random drug testing.

Co-defendant Quanis Phillips was incarcerated earlier after his August 17 plea hearing because he had failed drug tests with monitoring equipment and regulations already in place.

Incarceration begins

In November, Vick turned himself in early to begin getting time-served credit against his likely federal prison sentence. He was held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia awaiting sentencing on the federal convictions on December 10, 2007.

Federal sentencing, prison

On December 10, Vick appeared in U.S. District Court in Richmond for sentencing. Judge Hudson said he was "convinced that it was not a momentary lack of judgment" on Vick's part, and that Vick was a "full partner" in the dog fighting ring, and he was sentenced to serve 23 months in federal prison. Hudson also noted that, despite Vick's claims that he accepted responsibility for his actions, his failure to cooperate fully with Federal officials coupled with a failed drug test and a failed polygraph showed that Vick had not accepted full responsibility for "promoting, funding and facilitating this cruel and inhumane sporting activity". Vick was assigned to a federal prison facility in Leavenworth, Kansas to serve his sentence.

Funds to care for dogs

At the request of federal authorities before sentencing, Vick agreed to deposit nearly $1 million dollars in an escrow account with attorneys for use to reimburse costs of caring for the confiscated dogs, most of which were being offered for adoption on a selective basis under supervision of a court-appointed specialist. Experts said some of the animals will require individual care for the rest of their lives. Later during his bankruptcy trial, the U.S. Department of Labor complained that these funds were paid at least partially with unlawfully withdrawn monies which Vick held in trust for himself and 8 other employees of MV7, a celebrity marketing company he owns.

State criminal prosecution

Long anticipated separate Virginia charges against all four men were placed following indictments by the Surry County grand jury when it met on September 25, 2007. The principal evidence considered was the sworn statements of the defendants during their plea agreement process before the federal court, although the indictments are for different charges. Vick was charged with two class 6 felonies, which carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for each charge.

Citing the high costs and transportation logistics of proceeding while he was still in federal prisons out of state, Virginia's local prosecutor, Gerald Poindexter decided to postpone Vick's trial in Surry County Circuit Court until after his eventual release from federal custody. However, Vick's attorneys sought to resolve the state charges sooner. On October 14, 2008, Vick's original attorney, Lawrence Woodward filed a motion to enter a plea via two-way electronic video with the Surry County Courts. The Norfolk Virginia-Pilot newspaper reported that Vick planned to plead guilty to state charges in an effort to get an early release from federal prison and enter a halfway house. The request for a trial without Vick physically present was denied. However, Poindexter agreed to hold the state trial while Vick was still in federal custody if he bore the costs of his transportation to Virginia and related expenses.

State trial and sentencing

In late November, 2008 Vick was transported to Virginia to face the state charges. On November 25, he appeared before the Surry County Circuit Court at a session held in neighboring Sussex County (because the Surry court building was undergoing renovation). He submitted a guilty plea to a single Virginia felony charge for dog fighting, receiving a 3 year prison sentence, imposition of which was suspended upon condition of good behavior, and $2500 fine. In return for the plea agreement, the other charge was dropped.

Financial troubles

At the end of 2006, Sports Illustrated magazine had estimated Vick's annual income between his NFL salary and endorsements at $25.4 million, ranking him just below NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a listing of highest earning athletes. However, even before the dog fighting case and his NFL suspension arose, there were problems in Vick's affairs with poor financial management, bad investments, and lawsuits. Notably, a $45 million dollar lawsuit was pending in a dispute with his original sports agents. Several lucrative endorsement deals had also apparently soured.

After the federal dog fighting indictments were announced in July, 2007, financial claims against Vick escalated quickly. While in prison, Vick's income was reduced to wages of less than a dollar a day. With affairs severely affected by lost income, legal expenses, litigation, and mismanagement by a series of friends and financial advisers, he was unable to meet scheduled payments and other obligations. Within several months, Vick had been named in numerous lawsuits by banks and creditors for defaulting on loans, some relating to business investments.

The dog-fighting estate property near Smithfield, Virginia had been liquidated earlier, and in November 2007, Vick was observed to be attempting to sell one of his multi-million dollar homes. ESPN reported on October 20 that his home on the Sugarloaf area near Atlanta was listed for sale at a $4.5 million asking price.

As he served his sentence in the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, friends and family continued to occupy some of the others in the South Beach section of Miami Beach, Florida and multiple locations in Virginia. In June 2008, when his brother Marcus Vick was arrested and jailed in Norfolk after a police chase, he listed his residence as a $1.39 million home owned by Michael in an exclusive riverfront community in Suffolk, Virginia where his mother also was living. Construction of a new riverfront home was also observed continuing on land Vick owned in another exclusive section of Suffolk. His attorneys later estimated that he was spending $30,000 a month to support 7 friends and relatives, including his mother and brother, 3 children, and their mothers.

As judgements were filed on behalf of creditors and attempts to garnish income and seize assets began, in early July 2008, Vick's attorneys filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on his behalf in the U.S. District Court in Newport News, Virginia. (see section following)

Bankruptcy

On July 7, 2008, Vick sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newport News after failing to "work out consensual resolutions with each of his creditors," according to court papers. The initial filing, which was incomplete, listed assets of less than $50 million and debt of $10 million to $50 million. The seven largest creditors without collateral backing their claims are owed a total of $12.8 million. The three biggest unsecured creditors are: Joel Enterprises Inc., owed $4.5 million for breach of contract; Atlanta Falcons, owed $3.75 million for "pro-rated signing bonus" and Royal Bank of Canada, owed $2.5 million for a loan.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback "will seek to rebuild his life and career" upon his release, according to the filings. In Newport News, the Daily Press made a PDF formatted copy of the court documents available online at the newspaper's website: Online copy of Michael Vick's Bankruptcy Filing July 7, 2008.

Listing of major financial obligations

Although dozens of creditors were listed in the initial bankruptcy filing, several stood out as major ones, and among these, some had already obtained legal judgments and/or claimed priority over others.

Joel Enterprises

Joel Enterprises of Richmond was listed by Vick as one of his larger creditors. Sports agents Andrew Joel and Dave Lowman claimed Vick signed a contract with their firm in 2001, 9 days before he announced he was leaving Virginia Tech early and declaring himself eligible for the NFL Draft. With his mother as a witness, Vick signed a five-year marketing agreement that anticipated a wide range of endorsement activities using Vick's name, likeness, voice and reputation. Joel's cut would be 25 percent of all deals, excluding Vick's NFL contract, according to the agreement. Subsequently, Vick attempted to end the relationship with Joel Enterprises suddenly a few weeks later, and entered into another relationship with other agents.

In 2005, Joel Enterprises sued Vick in Richmond Circuit Court for $45 million in compensatory and punitive damages for "breach of contract" . After the Virginia Supreme Court denied a Vick motion and ruled that the civil trial could proceed in December 2006 , the parties both agreed to submit the dispute to binding arbitration for resolution instead of a formal civil court trial. The case was heard in Richmond by Charlottesville attorney Thomas Albro. The outcome was an award of $4.5 million to Joel.

Atlanta Falcons

Although he is not being paid while on suspension, the Falcons sought to recover a portion of Vick's $37 million 2004 signing bonus. A reduced amount of $20 million awarded to the Falcons in binding arbitration, which Vick was disputing. However, that amount was reduced by an agreement between the parties that Vick will pay the Falcons between $6.5 and $7.5 million, the variance depending upon the outcome of a pending court-case which was similar, but unrelated. The bankruptcy court was advised of this Vick-Falcons settlement agreement on April 3, 2009.

Royal Bank of Canada

On September 20, 2007, Royal Bank of Canada, DBA RBC Centura, filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Newport News against Vick for more than $2.3 million for a loan which was to be for real estate purposes. The suit claimed Vick failed to meet a September 10 deadline to repay the loan. On May 7, 2008, the court granted a motion for summary judgment against Vick for default and breach of a promissory note and ordered him to pay more than US$2.5 million.

1st Source Bank

On September 26, 2007, 1st Source Bank, based in South Bend, Indiana, claimed in a federal lawsuit that it had suffered damages of at least $2 million as Vick and Divine Seven LLC of Atlanta had refused to pay for at least 130 vehicles acquired to be used as rental cars. The "Specialty Financing Group" of 1st Source provides financing for rental car fleets in many locations around the country, according to the bank's web site. The company's listed address, 2527 Camp Creek Parkway, in College Park, Georgia is also listed as a Payless Car Rental franchise location. College Park is a south Atlanta suburban area adjacent to the busy Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

According to a spokesman for the bank, 1st Source had been able to repossess most of the cars, which will limit Vick's financial liability in the lawsuit. Vick's bankruptcy filing listed $400,000 as the amount of his potential liability; the filing did not indicate that the amount due 1st Source Bank was either secured by any assets or in dispute.

Wachovia Bank

On October 2, 2007, Wachovia Bank filed suit in U.S. District Court in Atlanta seeking about $940,000 from Vick and Gerald Frank Jenkins, a business partner and their Atlantic Wine & Package LLC. The bank claimed the two defaulted on a May 2006 loan of $1.3 million to set up a wine shop and restaurant and had not made scheduled payments. Jenkins, a retired surgeon, has owned Atlantic Wine since 2004. A news media report indicated that he had brought Vick in as an investor.

On May 14, 2008, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that summary judgment in favor of Wachovia against Vick had been granted by the U.S. District Court in Atlanta. The amount of $1,117,908.85 represented the initial principal balance outstanding ($937,907.61), interest accrued, outstanding fees, overdrawn accounts and attorneys fees. The order provided that further interest could be accrued.

U.S. Department of Labor

On March 25, 2009, United States Department of Labor filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Newport News, alleging that Vick and others (including past financial advisers Mary Wong and David Talbot) violated federal employee benefits law taking funds in the amount of $1.35 million in withdrawals from the retirement plan sponsored by MV7, one of his companies.

The money held was in trust under pension laws to fund retirement plans for 9 current or former employees of MV7. The Labor Department simultaneously filed an adversary complaint in federal bankruptcy court to prevent Vick from discharging his alleged debt to the MV7 pension plan. The complaint alleged that some of the funds were used to for Vick's own benefit, including paying restitution ordered in his dogfighting conspiracy case.

Early proceedings

On August 15, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Vick's finances were in such disarray that a bankruptcy judge had been asked to appoint a trustee to oversee them. W. Clarkson McDow Jr., the U.S. trustee for Region Four (which includes Newport News), noted in court documents filed in Virginia that by Vick's own admission, he "has limited ability to arrange his finances and limited ability to participate in the bankruptcy case on an in-person basis." McDow wrote in his motion to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee "It appears that Mr. Vick has routinely relied upon others to make financial decisions for him, giving them discretionary control over large sums of money". McDow named Mary Wong and David A. Talbot as individuals who had obtained broad written authority to act as his attorney-in-fact over all of his financial affairs. On the same day, an ESPN news story described Wong and Talbot as "two financial advisers who have been charged with major frauds."

Mary Wong

In the fall of 2007, upon a recommendation from fellow Falcons teammate Demorrio Williams, Vick retained Mary Wong, a business manager in Omaha, Nebraska. Wong helped cash in some of Vick's investments to provide the restitution funds required by the federal court in his criminal case to care for the dogs. However, ESPN reported that, according to a document filed by one of Vick's attorneys, she used a power of attorney from Vick to "wrongfully remove" at least another $900,000 from his various accounts. Court papers also say, Wong "caused certain business entities owned by [Vick] to be transferred to her." Vick learned later that Wong had been permanently barred from working with any firm that traded on the New York Stock Exchange as the result of taking more than $150,000 from two elderly widows she met while working at Wells Fargo Investments.

David A. Talbot

Vick next turned to David A. Talbot, a medical school graduate from Hackensack, New Jersey, who claimed to have expertise in financial management. Vick later told the court that he met Talbot in April 2008 through his brother, Marcus Vick, who he said is a good friend of Talbot's son. ESPN reported that Talbot was to be paid $15,000 per month, and had taken possession of one of Vick's cars, an $85,000 Mercedes-Benz. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that his professional résumé contained numerous false and apparently, fraudulent statements. In a matter unrelated to Vick, Talbot has been accused of defrauding church members in New Jersey. New Jersey's Attorney General instituted legal action against Talbot for securities fraud in a scheme to "defraud" several investors of more than $500,000 by offering them "asset enhancement contracts" that were to be used to build a new church. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro ordered that a Mercedes-Benz that Vick had given to Talbot be repossessed and sold, and that Talbot show up at a hearing on September 5. "Obviously the court is concerned," Santoro said.

On August 29, a 2 hour-long hearing was held in the Newport News Bankruptcy Court. Vick participated by speaker phone from Leavenworth, Kansas. He told the court his representatives were talking to the NFL on his behalf about a return to football, but that he did not know what his earning potential is. The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot quoted him as stating: "My plan is to go back into playing football."

On September 5, Talbot did appear before Judge Santoro, but declined to answer the judge's questions, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Santoro told him: "You are ordered to account for every dime – or every penny, let's put it that way – that you have received from Mr. Vick." Talbot's attorney told the court that Talbot gave the Mercedes-Benz back to Vick's brother, Marcus Vick, who drove it from Florida to Virginia. The Mercedes-Benz was the surrounded as a portion of Vick's property being liquidated to satisfy creditors.

Ongoing expenses: support of friends and relatives

Attorney Paul K. Campsen explained to the court that Vick "has supported his mother, brother, fiancée and his two children" over the years. He reported that Vick's financial problems included average monthly expenses of $12,225 for several large homes his family and friends currently lived in and a monthly income of just $277.69.

Vick's mother was formerly a school bus driver in Newport News. More recently, she had been earning $100,000 per year as an employee of MV7, Vick's celebrity marketing company, which also employed one of his sisters. His 24 year old brother Marcus, who lives with his mother, lost his full college scholarship when was expelled from the football program at Virginia Tech following a series of criminal, traffic and poor sportsmanship incidents. An undrafted free agent in the 2006 NFL Draft, he was later signed by the Miami Dolphins and played in one game. The Dolphins did not renew his single year contract. At the time of the hearing, he was free on bail facing multiple charges which resulted from the police chase incident in June 2008 in Norfolk. On October 20, Marcus was convicted and given a suspended twelve month jail sentence.

According to an article published in the Newport News Daily Press, according to Vick's attorneys, money that Vick gave his fiancée, mother, two children and other family members in recent years might have to be returned to pay creditors to whom Vick now owes money. If they bought property with money that Vick gave them, they could be ordered to sell that property and turn over the proceeds to the court.

Initial Reorganization Plan

After being granted an extension in July, on November 12, 2008, Vick's attorneys filed a document entitled "Disclosure Statement With Respect to Debtor's First Amended Plan of Reorganization." The Associated Press made a photocopy of the 87 page document obtained under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act available as a PDF file:

Link to 87 page PDF copy of Michael Vick's Bankruptcy Disclosure statement dated November 12, 2008 (PDF reader required to view)

Under the bankruptcy plan discussed with the Bankruptcy Court earlier at an October 4 hearing, Vick's plans include selling three of his six homes. Located in Hampton, James City and Georgia, they are worth $750,000, $485,000 and $3.5 million, respectively. He would keep the two homes in Suffolk, the one occupied by his mother on West Creek Court, and his fiancée, Kijafa Frink, and their two children, who were living with him in the house in Hampton prior to his incarceration, would live in the new $2 million house being built on Wentworth Court in Suffolk. His previous girlfriend, Tameka Taylor, and his son by her, who have lived in the James City County house, would live with her relatives instead.

For his monthly expenses, Vick listed support payments of approximately $30,000 a month. Items include $14,531 a month to his mother (which includes $4,700 in mortgage payments and a monthly electric power bill of $663), $12,363 a month to his fiancée and two daughters, and $3,500 a month to his former girlfriend and his son. Creditors have challenged Vick's spending, particularly since his suspension from work in July, 2007.

In less than 90 days after Aug. 27, 2007, the day he pleaded guilty to the federal charges, Vick shelled out $3,627,291. Court documents also revealed that Vick had provided each of his three co-defendants in the dogfighting case $150,000 for their legal bills. Major creditors, including the Atlanta Falcons, objected to his initial disclosure statement, arguing that it lacked sufficient detail about his finances and prospects of returning to the NFL.

Income prospects

Vick's attorneys told the judge on November 13 that Vick "has every reason to believe that upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career and be able to earn a substantial living." One of his bankruptcy attorneys told the court that Vick and his creditors were after the same ends — allowing Vick to right himself financially, get back to playing football and pay off his debts. The Newport News Daily Press noted that "some significant obstacles stand in his way." Among these, Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, would have to lift Vick's suspension. Even though Vick is still under contract to the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank, who owns Vick's former team, has indicated that the quarterback wouldn't be welcome back on the team. Assuming he achieves a termination settlement with the Falcons, even then, it is unclear whether another team would offer him a contract.

In April 2009, the Albany Firebirds, a minor league team, offered Vick a one-year contract that would pay him $200 a week plus a $50 bonus for a win.

Funds, assets handled by Reamon, Wong, Talbot, Washington

On November 13, his attorneys told the bankruptcy court that they are still working on accounting for all his funds during the past two years. Apparently not previously mentioned at earlier hearings, they told the judge that they would soon question Charles W. ("C.J.") Reamon Jr., a close Vick associate with a minor connection to the Surry dogfighting location and the nephew of his former high school coach and mentor, Tommy Reamon. Records revealed that in January 2006, "C.J." Reamon paid the $50 fee to renew the kennel license at Vick's Surry County property where the dog fighting ring was based. Reamon has a criminal record in Virginia with three convictions related to illegal firearms or airport security, including being caught for lying about his criminal record when he was employed in security work at Norfolk International Airport (discovered during a "sting" investigation), and an incident in August 2006 when he was caught carrying a loaded .357 SIG Glock into the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport terminal. In February 2007, "C.J." Reamon and Vick were together when Vick was charged with a minor fishing boat sticker violation in Norfolk's Western Branch Reservoir by a Virginia game warden. The attorneys told the court that "C.J." Reamon, listed in court papers as Vick's personal assistant and friend, had permission from Vick to disburse the money to Vick’s family, but so far not all of the $3 million of Vick's money he apparently handled in the two years before Vick filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2008 has been accounted for. According a news media story, Reamon spent at least some of the $3 million on "among other things, a horse farm, horses, cars, boats and spending money." Reamon, who tapped one account for more than $1.1 million between October 2006 and December 2007, Mary Wong, and David Talbot are listed as a potential defendants in [separate] lawsuits that Vick is considering filing, alleging mismanagement of his money, according to copies of court documents obtained by news media.

A 69 acre farm in Surry County for which Vick paid 50% was titled exclusively in Reamon's name, although Vick maintains he owns a 50% interest. Reamon was also said to be in possession and/or control of several small yachts, also paid for partially or entirely by Vick, one of which was being offered for sale.

The status of Vick's approximately 60% interest in Seven Charms, LLC, a horse farm in Conyers, Georgia in partnership with Arthur Washington (who was also involved with Vick in the Payless rental car business near the Atlanta airport) was undetermined. In September 2008, the farm, in which Vick had invested $200,000, was sold at absolute auction for unpaid real estate taxes at far below market value. Washington apparently failed to notify Vick of the pending auction and kept the proceeds. Documents revealed that both the actions of the county and Washington are being challenged by Vick's attorneys due to his federal bankruptcy protection.

Six valuable racing horses boarded at a horse farm in Florida were to be sold, with net proceeds after commissions and expenses to go towards the bankruptcy fund. As of the September disclosure, one of these transactions has already been completed, with net proceeds of approximately $30,000.

Revisions to Initial Reorganization Plan

According to ESPN and earlier reports by various news media, long ago the 4,600-square-foot house on 15 acres in Surry County that served as headquarters for the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation was sold to an investor, and was vacant and still on the market as of March 2009. The Georgia house, an eight bedroom, 11 bathroom mansion located in a gated community, was put on auction in February, 2009. The minimum bid was $3.2 million, but there were no bids. Another effort in March also failed to produce any bids. Several real estate professionals interviewed cited the current "soft" market for large luxury homes in light of the economy rather than any notoriety attached to Vick as the source of the lack of responses to the auction opportunity for the home, saying it is "well-built, has a lake view and an excellent floor plan."

Under revisions to the plan reported by the Virginian Pilot newspaper on March 29, 2009, Vick would sell the 7,800-square-foot former Homearama home on West Creek Court in Suffolk's Harbour View where his mother, Brenda Vick Boddie, and brother, former professional football player Marcus Vick, live. As planned earlier, Vick and his fiancée, Kijafa Frink, and their two children will live in the new $2 million 9,200 square-foot house on Wentworth Court in Governor's Pointe in Suffolk, which sits on 2 acres overlooking the Nansemond River. Under the revision, Vick's mother and brother would have relocated to the house in Hampton where Frink and the children have been living while the Governor's Pointe mansion was under construction. Vick would have also retained valuable personal property, including a 2007 Land Rover, a Lincoln Navigator and a 2007 Infiniti truck.

The plan provided for Vick to keep all of his first $750,000 in income. A portion of his income in excess of $750,000 annually would be used by the court to discharge his debts on a sliding scale. He would then pay 20 percent of any additional income up to $2.5 million, 25 percent of income between $2.5 million and $10 million and 33 percent of income over $10 million.

Some of the objections to the plan likely arose from the fact that if he earned less than $750,000 per year, even though he would be allowed to retain many valuable assets, the creditors would not be paid. One attorney for a group of creditors saids he thought it was a good plan, but told a Virginian Pilot reporter: "Obviously, if he goes out and becomes a construction worker, we’re not going to get anything out of it."

A court hearing on April 2, 2009 was expected to provide further clarification regarding repayment of the $1.35 million unlawfully withdrawn from a pension fund for Vick employees which was claimed by the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as disposition of funds which may recovered from the claims and/or lawsuits pending against C.J. Reamon, Jr., Mary A. Wong and David A. Talbot for missing or unaccounted monies they handled as his financial agents.

Objections to Reorganization Plan

One major creditor, Joel Enterprises, is owed $4.6 million, based on a state court judgment that found Vick had breached his contract with Joel. Andrew Joel has objected to the plan because he wants to be paid first, rather than in line with other creditors. Joel Enterprises filed a complaint on March 26 alleging Vick transferred property and cash to relatives and friends in the year before he filed for bankruptcy to defraud his creditors. The complaint also alleges that Vick misrepresented his assets.

The Internal Revenue Service reported to the bankruptcy judge that Vick owes more than $1.2 million in back taxes as of October, 2008. The IRS said that figure may increase, as he had not yet filed his 2007 return.

In addition to the IRS, objections to Vick's proposed Reorganization Plan were filed by the Virginia Department of Taxation, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. attorney’s office, and the U.S. bankruptcy trustee. The Labor Department complaint involves missing funds which were to be held in trust for a pension plan for 9 current or former Vick employees, and seeks $1.35 million in repayment.

Hearing April 2-3, 2009

Vick appeared in person before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro at a hearing in Newport News on April 2, 2009. In March, Judge Santora had rejected the idea of allowing testimony by video hookup, saying he needed Vick in the courtroom so he could assess his demeanor and credibility. The U.S. Marshals Service and Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk handled custody of him while in Virginia for the two-day trial.

At the early part of the hearing, Judge Santoro learned that settlement agreements had been negotiated by his attorneys which would allow the U.S. Department of Labor and the Virginia Department of Taxation to withdraw their objections to the reorganization plan. The majority of Vick's creditors, representing about 80% of his currently listed liabilities, agreed to this plan. However, news media observers noted that an alternative complete liquidation plan under the provisions of Chapter 7 would net insufficient funds to pay his unsecured creditors anything, since all proceeds would be exhausted in disbursements to secured creditors and legal fees. At that point, the judge became aware that the company of Vick's former agent, Andrew Joel, who is owed $4.6 million, remained as the only creditor to continue to object to the plan as presented to the Court.

Vick testified that he intends to live a better life after prison. He spoke about his crime, saying that it was "heinous" and he felt "true remorse". However, under questioning by Joel's attorney, Vick admitted that he knowingly withdrew an additional $150,000 from the pension fund last year, even after being advised that it was improper, explaining that he was "desperate" to pay some bills.

Regarding his projected income, the court heard testimony about Vick's plans to pay creditors, which included working 40 hours a week in a $10 an hour construction job promised by a major contractor and longtime acquaintance, until he was reinstated to the NFL, and hired by a team, where he hopes to play in the Fall 2009 season. His agent Joel Segal also testified to a pending $600,000 documentary deal to tell the story of Vick's life and his plan to negotiate to place Vick with a NFL team as soon as obstacles by the League and the Falcons are satisfied.

Initial Reorganization Plan rejected

Near the end of the hearing on April 3, Judge Santoro rejected the current plan as unsound, saying that the plan was too strongly predicated on both Vick's hopes of a return to the NFL and the very substantial projected income which it may bring, neither of which was assured. He also said information presented about the $600,000 documentary deal was too incomplete to rely upon either.

The judge calculated that under his plan, Vick would need about $1 million by May 1 to confirm the bankruptcy plan, and will only have about 21% of that available by then. The judge also said Vick would need at least $7 million to $8 million more annually just to break even after three years. About $3.5 million of that would have gone to pay bankruptcy lawyers. "There's no evidence that he's going to be able to make that kind of money," the judge said. He also was "skeptical" about the documentary deal, as nothing was offered to show that company's assets or its ability to pay the money. The judge also was critical of the plan's provisions for Vick to maintain two houses and four cars, calculating that Vick would have needed about $200,000 in annual living expenses.

The judge commended Vick for trying to work out his financial mess, after years of poor choices. However, he told Vick the numbers simply don’t add up in his plan to climb out of debt. Adjourning the case until a status hearing with lawyers on March 28, Santoro told Vick to work with his advisers to create a new plan, and suggested that Vick begin by liquidating one or both of his Virginia homes, a $750,000 home in Hampton and a $2 million riverfront home in Suffolk, as well as three of the cars that Vick had intended to keep, and "buy a house more within his means." Vick had earlier testified that he felt obligated to provide for his friends and family because of "where he had come from." Regarding maintaining a costly lifestyle for so many people, the judge stated that while that might be commendable, "You can't be everything to everybody. If you do, you're going to be nothing to anybody."

Revised Reorganization Plan in progress

On April 28, the attorneys met with Judge Santoro for a scheduled update meeting and advised him that they are making substantial progress on a revised plan to submit to the court. They reported having settled all disputes with his creditors, most notably now including his former agent Andrew Joel, who was opposed to the Initial Reorganization Plan which was rejected on April 3. Joel has been visibly aggressive in attempting to collect a judgement he won against Vick for a 2000 breach of contract situation, and in past procedings, Joel's attorneys have questioned whether Vick had hidden some of his assets which have not been accounted for.

There were no indications of any new developments regarding Vick's prospects for a possible future playing for the NFL. The substantial income which could result was a key aspect of the initial plan. Specific information about possible additional divesture one or both of the luxury homes and vehicles Vick had hoped to keep as the judge had recommended on April 3 was also not available. Judge Santoro set a June 9 hearing date for the attorneys to return with a revised plan.

Awards, records, and accomplishments

College awards

• 1999 Big East Conference Rookie of the Year
• 1999 Big East Conference Offensive Player of the Year
• 1999 Archie Griffin Award
• 2000 Best College Football Player ESPY Award
• 2001 Toyota Gator Bowl MVP

College records and accomplishments

• Set an NCAA record for a freshman and established single-season school records for highest yards passing per completion (20.4), per attempt (12.1), highest completion percentage (59.2) and most yards per play (9.3).
• Finished third in the balloting for the coveted Heisman Trophy (matching the highest finish ever by a freshman, and eventually broken by Adrian L. Peterson, who finished second in the balloting in 2004) while coming away with the hardware for Big East Conference Offensive and Rookie of the Year and finished runner-up in voting for the Associated Press Player of the Year.
• Became the first player in Division I history to win a league's Player of the Year Award in the same season he won Rookie of the Year.

NFL awards

• Best NFL Player ESPY Award (2003)
• Galloping Gobbler Award (2005)

NFL records and milestones

• In 2006, Vick became the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards during the regular season.
• In 2006, Vick set the NFL record for most yards per carry in a season, at 8.4.
• When Vick and RB Jerious Norwood both ran for over 100 yards in Week 4 of the 2006 season, the Falcons became the only NFL team to ever record two games in a franchise's history where both the quarterback and a running back on the same team surpassed the 100-yard mark in the same game. (Vick and Warrick Dunn both eclipsed 100 yards in Week 2 of the same season.)
• Vick (1,039 yards) and Dunn (1,140) became the first QB/RB tandem in NFL history to each go over the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the same season. They also became the fourth set of teammates in league history to each have 1,000 or more yards. The last set of teammates to accomplish the feat were Cleveland RBs Kevin Mack (1,104 yards) and Earnest Byner (1,002) in 1985. Brandon Jacobs (1,089) and Derrick Ward (1,025) of the 2008 New York Giants have since accomplished this feat as well.
• Earned his second consecutive and third overall Pro Bowl nod in 2005 as he passed for 2,412 yards and 16 touchdowns in addition to leading all NFL quarterbacks with 597 rushing yards and six scores.
• Named to the second Pro Bowl of his career after leading the Falcons to their third division title in team history and breaking numerous NFL and team records in 2004.
• Set an NFL postseason record for a quarterback with 119 rushing yards in the 2004 NFC Divisional Playoff win against the Rams.
• Became the first quarterback to ever throw for more than 250 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game at the Broncos (October 31, 2004).
• Named to the 2002 Pro Bowl, becoming the seventh quarterback to be voted to the NFL All-Star game in his first year as a starter since 1970, joining Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins (1983), Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers (1992), Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams (1999), Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings (2000), Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles (2000), and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots (2001). This group would later include Marc Bulger of the St. Louis Rams (2003), Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers (2006), Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys (2006), and Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns (2007).
• Top overall NFL draft choice in 2001 after a celebrated college career at Virginia Tech. Was the fourth Falcons #1 overall pick in club history (Tommy Nobis in 1966, Steve Bartkowski in 1975, Aundray Bruce in 1988)

Charitable foundations

Michael Vick has been a principal in two charitable foundations, the Michael Vick Foundation and the The Vick Foundation. Neither organization is related to the similarly-named Vick Foundation, which was set up in 2004 by Edward Vick (founder of EVS Translations, also not related to Michael Vick) to assist, develop and promote Bulgarian fiction inside and outside Bulgaria.

According to its 2006 federal tax return, the Michael Vick Foundation provided 100 backpacks to poor children in Newport News and paid for an after-school program in 2006. But, during the same period the foundation spent only 12 percent of its budget — $20,590 of $171,823 — on charitable programs, and paid its fund-raiser, Susan Bass Roberts, a former spokeswoman for Vick, $97,000. That foundation ceased operations in 2006. One of Vick's financial advisors withdrew $50,000, most of the remaining funds, from its checking account in 2008.

In June 2006, Vick, along with his brother Marcus Vick and mother Brenda Vick Boddie, established another corporation, "The Vick Foundation", a nonprofit organization to support at-risk youth and the after school programs that serve them in the Metro Atlanta and Hampton Roads areas. The announcement of the new organization came just before the start of the foundation's first fundraiser, the Michael Vick Golf Classic. The inaugural event was held at the prestigious Kingsmill Golf Course in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia in partnership with The Virginia Tech Alumni Association Tidewater Chapter, and netted more than $80,000 for charity.

After the Virginia Tech massacre on April 16, 2007, Michael Vick teamed up with the United Way to donate $10,000 to assist families affected by the tragedy. Vick explained, "When tragic things like this happen, families have enough to deal with, and if I can help in some small way, that's the least I can do." It was reported that The Vick Foundation was collecting donations from local communities in both Atlanta and Virginia that will be placed in the United In Caring Fund for Victims of the Virginia Tech Tragedy and the special fund at the United Way of Montgomery, Radford and Floyd counties, which serves the Virginia Tech area. The Vick Foundation said the money would be used to provide help with funeral expenses, transportation for family members and other support services.

On April 26, 2007, the police search of Vick's property in Surry County took place, and soon, there was widespread news media publicity about evidence of dog fighting which had been found there. Subsequently, plans made earlier for charity-related events were canceled.

It was announced in June 2007 that the "Michael Vick Football Camp" to be held at Christopher Newport University in Newport News was canceled for the summer 2007 session because of "scheduling issues." The university on Warwick Boulevard in Newport News is partially located on the site of the former Homer L. Ferguson High School (which closed in 1996), the school where Vick began his football fame. He also canceled participation in another football camp to be held at the College of William and Mary. According to that university, his place was to be taken by Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell.

On June 22, 2007, a charity golf tournament featuring Vick, intended in part to raise scholarships in memory of Virginia Tech's shooting victims, was rescheduled for September. The tournament at Kingsmill Resort & Spa had been set to begin on June 29, and a reason for the change was not announced. At the time, the tournament was the latest in a series of Virginia appearances either canceled or delayed since Vick's name surfaced in the dog fighting investigation.

Impact upon community youth and leaders

The revelations of Michael Vick's activities with the Bad Newz Kennels drew widespread negative public reactions, but possibly hurt nowhere more than in his old neighborhood. Initial disbelief changed in the aftermath of Vick's guilty plea agreement to the federal charges, with revelations of the key role and personal involvement in brutal executions of under performing dogs.

In Newport News, mentors and others working with underprivileged youth sought to identify lessons to communicate to those who had seen him as a role model. "It's difficult, because Mike (Vick) is someone who we held up as doing it right," Bernard Johnson told the Newport News Daily Press. Johnson, who has coached kids, including Vick, in the Boys and Girls Club football program for 28 years, said the lesson to kids now is all about responsibility and accountability.

After he apologized to the judge, his family and his children at his federal sentencing hearing on December 10, Judge Hudson stated:

"I think you should have apologized also to the millions of young people who look up to you."

On April 3, 2009, during his bankruptcy hearing held in the U.S. District Court in downtown Newport News, only a short distance from the Ridley Circle Homes housing project and the Boys and Girls Club where he had played in the football program as a youth, Vick testified before a courtroom filled with lawyers, creditors, and his family that he now knows that he "can't live like the old Mike Vick...I was very immature. I did a lot of things I wasn't supposed to do being a role model." Vick's agent, Joel Segal, told the judge that Vick was "ready to return to community in "positive light," [and] show remorse.

Although both Vick's development of an acceptable reorganization plan for the court which would allow him to keep many assets and his possible return to a well-paid career in professional football after he is released in July are each far from assured, he did receive an expression of support from a prominent local businessman, John Robert Lawson II, who is CEO and President of W. M. Jordan Co. and also the current rector of Virginia Tech. Lawson has promised Vick a $10 an hour full-time construction job with the Jordan company immediately when he is released. Lawson, who said that he has known Vick more than 10 years, stated: "I believe that all of us make mistakes, and once you have paid the price and fulfilled your commitment, you should be given a second chance." Thus, despite the increasingly high unemployment rate in Hampton Roads, 7.2% as of February 2009 , Vick can at least be assured of a full-time job after he is released.

External links

• Official Website (Dated Sep 11, 2007- Internet Archive)
• Michael Vick at AtlantaFalcons.com
• Michael Vick at NFL.com
• Michael Vick at ESPN.com
• Vick Indicted on Va. Dogfighting Charges on Time.com (a division of Time Magazine)
• Template:Pro-football-reference
• The Smoking Gun -- United States v. Michael Vick, Criminal No. 3:07CR274 (E.D. Va., Aug. 24, 2007) Summary of the facts and plea agreement
• Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator - Michael Dwayne Vick
• Michael Vick CNN

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Al Clark	Virginia Tech Starting Quarterback 1999–2000	Succeeded by Grant Noel
Preceded by First Award	Archie Griffin Award 1999	Succeeded by Josh Heupel
Preceded by Courtney Brown	1st Overall Pick in NFL Draft 2001	Succeeded by David Carr
Preceded by Chris Chandler	Atlanta Falcons Starting Quarterback 2002–2006	Succeeded by Joey Harrington
Preceded by Marshall Faulk	Madden NFL Cover Athlete Madden '04	Succeeded by Ray Lewis
Preceded by Bobby Douglass 1972, (968)	Record for NFL Quarterback Rushing Yards in a Single Season 2006-, (1039)	Succeeded by Current Record Holder

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