Filed under: Football
Even though there are a bunch of animal lovers who will never forgive Michael Vick for his dogfighting business, despite the fact his 18-month prison stint was excessive, he's still going around the country to spread the word that what he did was wrong.
This week he was in New Haven, Connecticut and spoke to high school students from Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross High Schools about his involvement in dogfighting and gave encouragement to the kids.
This week he was in New Haven, Connecticut and spoke to high school students from Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross High Schools about his involvement in dogfighting and gave encouragement to the kids.
"You guys are going to be our future leaders in this world," Vick said at Cross, according to the New Haven Register. "Set your mind on what you want to do moving forward. And each and every day, you have to think about what's the best thing that I can do to become a better person tomorrow. There's going to be some ups and downs, but it's all about how you bounce back from it; it's all about how you persevere."
He told the story of how he got into dogfighting when he was 8 years old, grew up with it as a normal diversion in his life and how he started his Bad Newz Kennels when he was drafted into the NFL in 2001. He also talked about how his choices affected his family and especially his children.
"Going to federal prison, spending 18 months away from my family, which was without a doubt the hardest thing I've had to endure, ... I think in a sense made me a stronger person," Vick said. "I think I'm being used by God, because all the laws have changed since my incident."
In other Vick news, the Eagles quarterback will be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Writer S.L. Price sat down with Vick for an in-depth interview about his comeback from prison. He talked about his attitude after being released as well as the parties he was throwing with his brother, Marcus. One of those parties made headlines after someone was shot outside of one. He said his mother wanted to disown him.
"You went to prison for 19 months, and you come out and you still ain't listening," Vick told Sports Illustrated. "I told myself, I am changing my life. I'm going to do everything they ask me to do. I'm getting myself away from this madness."
The new issue is on newsstands this week.