Career Timeline of Michael Vick: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Michael Vick, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Michael Vick is a former NFL quarterback and current college football coach. He played college football at Virginia Tech, winning the Archie Griffin Award, before being drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. During his six seasons with the Falcons, Vick earned three Pro Bowl selections and led the team to two playoff appearances, one division title, and an NFC Championship Game appearance. He was known for his exceptional rushing ability and at the time of his retirement, he was the all-time leader in quarterback rushing yards.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1999: Collegiate Debut and Sugar Bowl Appearance

In 1999, Michael Vick played his first collegiate game for Virginia Tech and scored three rushing touchdowns against James Madison. He also led the Hokies to an undefeated season and an appearance in the Nokia Sugar Bowl against Florida State.

2000: Career High Rushing Total and Win Against West Virginia

In 2000, Michael Vick had a career high rushing total of 210 yards against Boston College. He also accounted for 288 total yards of offense and two touchdowns against West Virginia University.

2000: MLB Draft Selection by Colorado Rockies

In 2000, Michael Vick was selected in the 30th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Colorado Rockies, despite not playing baseball since the eighth grade.

September 9, 2001: NFL Debut Against 49ers

On September 9, 2001, Michael Vick made his NFL debut against the San Francisco 49ers, seeing limited action.

2001: NFL Draft Selection by Atlanta Falcons

In 2001, Michael Vick was selected first in the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first African-American quarterback to be taken with the top pick.

2001: NFL Draft and Start with Falcons

In 2001, Michael Vick was selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons after they traded with the San Diego Chargers. He began his professional career with the team that year.

January 6, 2002: Performance Against St. Louis Rams

On January 6, 2002, Michael Vick accounted for 234 of Atlanta's 255 yards in the season finale against the St. Louis Rams.

2002: Numerous Single-Game Career Highs

In 2002, Michael Vick made 15 starts and set numerous single-game career highs, including in passes completed, pass attempts, and passing yards. He also set a then-NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game with 173 against the Minnesota Vikings.

January 4, 2003: Upset Victory Over Green Bay Packers

On January 4, 2003, Michael Vick led the Atlanta Falcons to an upset victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round.

2003: Fractured Fibula and Return to Play

During a preseason game in 2003, Michael Vick suffered a fractured right fibula, causing him to miss the first 11 games of the regular season. He made his debut in week 13 and had a strong performance against the Carolina Panthers on December 7, amassing the third-highest rushing total by a quarterback in NFL history.

October 31, 2004: First Quarterback to Throw for 250+ Yards and Rush for 100+ Yards

On October 31, 2004, Michael Vick became the first quarterback to throw for more than 250 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game, during a game against the Denver Broncos.

2004: Falcons seek to recover signing bonus

In 2004, an arbitrator ruled that Michael Vick had to reimburse the Atlanta Falcons for $19.97 million of his signing bonus. The arbitrator agreed with the Falcons' argument that Vick knew he was engaging in illegal activity when he signed his new contract in 2004, and that he had used the bonus money to pay for the dog fighting operation.

2005: Third Pro Bowl Selection

Michael Vick made his third Pro Bowl after the 2005 season, during which he passed for 2,412 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 597 rushing yards and six touchdowns. However, the Falcons finished with an 8–8 record and missed the playoffs.

June 2006: The Vick Foundation Established

In June 2006, Michael Vick, along with his brother Marcus and mother Brenda, established The Vick Foundation, a nonprofit organization to support at-risk youth with after-school programs 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.

December 2006: Vick scores first touchdown since December 2006

During week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons in December 2006, Michael Vick threw and ran for a touchdown, marking his first scores since December 2006.

2006: Vick's Income Estimated at $25.4 Million

At the end of 2006, Sports Illustrated magazine estimated Michael Vick's annual income between his NFL salary and endorsements at $25.4 million.

2006: First Quarterback to Rush for Over 1,000 Yards in a Season

In 2006, Michael Vick became the first quarterback to ever rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. Despite his record-setting season, the Falcons finished with a 7–9 record and again missed the playoffs.

2006: Middle finger gesture incident

In 2006, Michael Vick made a middle finger gesture to Atlanta football fans, negatively impacting his corporate status.

April 16, 2007: Vick Donates to Virginia Tech Massacre Victims

After the Virginia Tech massacre on April 16, 2007, Michael Vick and the United Way donated $10,000 to assist affected families. The Vick Foundation also collected donations from communities in Atlanta and Virginia to support funeral expenses, transportation for family members, and other support services.

August 2007: NFL suspends Vick indefinitely

In August 2007, following Michael Vick's guilty plea to federal charges in the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation, the NFL suspended him indefinitely without pay for violating its player conduct policy. Commissioner Roger Goodell cited Vick's admission to illegal and cruel conduct, emphasizing his role in funding the gambling aspect of the dog fighting operation. While technically a first-time offender, Goodell handed down a harsher suspension. Vick was barred from training camp, and the terms of his bail effectively ended any chance of him playing in 2007.

2007: Analysts discuss Vick's future

In 2007, ESPN's John Clayton speculated on the limited options for Michael Vick to resurrect his football career due to fan and media backlash, the CFL's ban on NFL-suspended players, and the difficulty of obtaining a Canadian work visa. Clayton suggested that the Arena Football League could be a viable option for Vick.

2007: Animal cruelty case surfaces

In 2007, the animal cruelty case involving Michael Vick surfaced, further damaging his corporate status.

February 2009: Falcons consider trading Vick

In February 2009, the Atlanta Falcons revealed that they were considering trading Michael Vick to another NFL team. The Falcons released Vick in early June, making him an unrestricted free agent.

August 13, 2009: Vick signs with Philadelphia Eagles

On August 13, 2009, Michael Vick signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles for $1.6 million, with no guaranteed money. The contract included a team option for the 2010 season worth $5 million. He was allowed to participate in team practices, meetings, and the last two preseason games and was eligible to play in the third week of the regular season.

October 2009: Nike provides Vick with complimentary gear

Starting in October 2009, Nike began providing Michael Vick with complimentary athletic gear.

2009: Signing with the Philadelphia Eagles

In 2009, after serving his sentence, Michael Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, marking a new chapter in his NFL career.

2009: Steelers consider signing Vick in 2009

In 2009, the Steelers had considered signing Michael Vick—both Vick and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin are from the same part of Virginia and know each other well personally—but decided against it due to potential backlash since Vick at the time hadn't proven himself following his release from prison.

January 9, 2010: Vick throws career-long touchdown pass in playoff game

On January 9, 2010, in the NFC Wild Card Round game against the Dallas Cowboys, Michael Vick threw the longest touchdown pass of his career to rookie Jeremy Maclin for 76-yards.

2010: Team option for 2010

In 2010 Michael Vick had a team option with the Philadelphia Eagles worth $5 million, included in his one-year contract that was signed on August 13, 2009.

2010: Eagles exercise Vick's option for 2010

In 2010, Donovan McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins and Kevin Kolb was named the starter. In March, The Eagles exercised Michael Vick's option for 2010 and Vick received a $1.5 million roster bonus.

2010: Vick's payments in 2010

In 2010, Vick paid his agent Joel Segal $32,500 and paid bankruptcy lawyers $748,750.

2010: Comeback Player of the Year

In 2010, as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Michael Vick had his greatest statistical season, leading the team to a division title and earning him Comeback Player of the Year and a fourth Pro Bowl selection.

2010: Vick's performance against Redskins

In 2010, during a Week 10 Monday Night Football game against the Washington Redskins on November 14, Michael Vick passed for 333 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Later in the season against the New York Giants, Vick led a fourth-quarter comeback to erase a 21-point deficit. Philadelphia finished with a 10–6 record in 2010 and made the playoffs.

January 27, 2011: Vick signs with Unequal Technologies

On January 27, 2011, Michael Vick signed a two-year endorsement deal with Unequal Technologies, a company that produces football pads, marking his first endorsement after being released from prison.

July 1, 2011: Nike re-signs Vick as an athlete

On July 1, 2011, Nike officially re-signed Michael Vick as an athlete. They had been providing him with complimentary gear since October 2009, and this re-signing marked the first time a sponsor had brought back an athlete after dropping him.

2011: Vick Lobbies for Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act

In 2011, Michael Vick lobbied for H.R. 2492, the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, which aimed to establish federal misdemeanor penalties for spectators of illegal animal fighting and felony charges for adults bringing children to fights.

2011: Vick's payments in 2011

In 2011, Vick paid his agent Joel Segal $104,000 and paid bankruptcy lawyers $1 million.

2011: Vick starts 13 games

In the 2011 season, Michael Vick appeared in and started 13 games, finishing with 3,303 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and 14 interceptions to go along with 76 carries for 589 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Philadelphia finished the 2011 season with an 8–8 record.

January 1, 2012: Vick throws for 335 yards against Washington

On January 1, 2012, in the final game of the season, Michael Vick completed 24 of 39 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns in a 34–10 victory at home against Washington.

2012: Vick launches V7 clothing line

In 2012, Michael Vick launched a sports clothing line called V7, to be sold exclusively at Modell's. Part of the proceeds was intended to go to the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia.

2012: Vick leads Eagles with interceptions

In 2012, despite throwing four interceptions, Michael Vick led the Eagles to a 17–16 victory in week one against the Cleveland Browns. The Eagles won the following game against the Baltimore Ravens, but lost 27–6 in the third week of the season to the Arizona Cardinals.

2012: Vick's agent payments begin to increase

Starting in 2012, Vick would pay his agent Joel Segal $160,000 each year.

February 11, 2013: Eagles and Vick agree to restructured contract

On February 11, 2013, the Eagles and Michael Vick agreed on a one-year restructured contract worth up to $10 million. Vick reclaimed his starting job from Nick Foles.

2013: Colin Kaepernick breaks record

In 2013, Colin Kaepernick broke the NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game, previously held by Michael Vick, with 181 yards.

March 21, 2014: Vick signs with New York Jets

On March 21, 2014, Michael Vick signed a one-year $5 million contract with the New York Jets, the same day the Jets released Mark Sanchez.

August 25, 2015: Vick signs with Pittsburgh Steelers

On August 25, 2015, Michael Vick signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth $970,000.

2015: Vick's high agent payments end

2015 was the last year that Vick would pay his agent Joel Segal $160,000.

2016: Vick announces to play one more season

In 2016, Michael Vick announced he would play one more season in the NFL.

2016: Free Agency

In 2016, Michael Vick spent the season as a free agent before officially retiring from professional football the following year.

February 3, 2017: Vick officially announces his retirement

On February 3, 2017, Michael Vick officially announced his retirement from professional football.

June 12, 2017: Vick retires as an Atlanta Falcon

On June 12, 2017, Michael Vick retired as an Atlanta Falcon.

June 28, 2017: Vick participates in American Flag Football League

On June 28, 2017, Michael Vick began participating in the newly formed American Flag Football League, serving as captain of Team Vick.

2017: Vick joins Chiefs as coaching intern

During their 2017 training camp, Michael Vick joined his former coach Andy Reid as a coaching intern with the Kansas City Chiefs. He also became an NFL analyst on Fox NFL Kickoff on FS1 after the Chiefs concluded their 2017 training camp.

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2017: Official Retirement

In 2017, after spending the 2016 season as a free agent, Michael Vick officially retired from professional football. After retiring as a player, Vick pursued a coaching career.

April 25, 2018: Vick hired as offensive coordinator for Atlanta Legends

On April 25, 2018, Michael Vick was hired as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football. Shortly before the season began, Vick would no longer serve as offensive coordinator, but would still remain with the team as a consultant.