Michael Vick sat down with the local national media yesterday to discuss the six-year, $100 million (well, not quite) commitment made to him by the Eagles and to reflect on his past and future in football. Despite the personal and professional transformation made by Vick over the past two years, people are perhaps understandably still skeptical about his ability to continue working hard and growing as a person and a player. But Vick says that getting this contract and the financial security it brings won't affect his work ethic or make him complacent.
"Absolutely not. I think if anything it will make me want to work harder, and just to continue to show that I'm worthy of everything that I've gotten. I think back to when I first got here and the commitment that I made to myself and to Andy that I'm going to change. I've always been a guy that's worked hard, and I see the progress that's been made in my career and why I've stopped. It's something that drives and motivates you, and I'm motivated now because I play with such great teammates and we have the opportunity to do something special. We all know how hard it is to reach certain levels, but through teamwork you make dream work. That's what we've been able to do."
This is actually the second $100+ million deal Vick has signed, making him the only player in the NFL history to do that. However, he obviously squandered that first deal and admitted that two years ago when he left prison, he never thought this day would come again
"No, to be honest I never thought this day would come. Again, in my career I just, like I said I wanted to play a game just to prove myself; to this magnitude I didn't think it would happen this way, but that goes to show how much I know. You know, just keep pressing forward and keep believing. I think faith is something that we all have to have at the end of the day. And I'm living proof that if you believe in yourself and commit yourself to doing certain things, you can do them. And it's all mental, it's all mental. Everything I've been through over the last three or four years of my life has just been a challenge mentally to see how I was going to respond to it, that's how I feel. And I responded in the right way with the help of a lot of people because I couldn't have done it by myself."
Vick says that the ultimate goal is still to bring a Superbowl back to Philadelphia.
"Absolutely, I mean, you play this game to better your craft, to better yourself as a football player. Like I said, that one common goal is to win the Super Bowl, and that's why we play. As a competitor, I don't feel like my career would be complete without that. That's the reason I've worked so hard. I have to give a lot of credit to Andy because everyday he's coached me up. There's always something new. I know I'll never get to a point where I know it all, but he can certainly help me get there 90-percent of the way. That's why I'm appreciative of where I'm at, sitting right here before you, and having the chance to be with this team for another six years."