Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has joined the ranks of Dion Sanders and Terrell Owens as a headline-making athlete whose personal life will be recorded by a reality show crew.
However, before the cameras moved in, Vick spent nearly a decade building a reputation as a football superstar.
Vick's Football Life
Vick first made an impression playing college football, as a quarterback for Virginia Tech. That year, he earned an ESPY award as the nation's top college player, and garnered a cover of ESPN: The Magazine.
The year also brought in game victories and broken records, culminating with a third-place finish for the Heisman trophy, behind Ron Dayne and Joe Hamilton.
Vick continued playing during his sophomore year. However, despite his impressive records and winning streaks, he opted to leave Virginia Tech that spring in order to pursue professional football.
The gamble paid off, as he became the top draft pick for the 2001 NFL season, playing for the Atlanta Falcons. His tenure with the team lasted for six seasons; during which, he continued to break records and earn quite a few lucrative endorsement deals.
Vick's Dog Fighting Arrest
Despite Vick's professional success, his career came to a halt in July 2007, when he, along with three other men, faced federal dog fighting charges. Vick was especially culpable, as the fights were held on his 15-acre property in Virginia.
On August 24, 2007, Vick filed a federal plea bargain. In the plea, he admitted to financing and participating in dog fights not only in Virginia, but also in Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina.
As a result of his bargain, Vick was sentenced to 23 months of prison. He also participated in an "animal sensitivity training course;" however, federal prosecutors opposed awarding Vick a sentence- shortening "acceptance of responsibility" certificate.
Vick ultimately served 19 months of his sentence, and was released on May 21, 2009. He returned to Virginia, with his NFL future uncertain. The league had suspended him after his arrest; however, within four months of his release, he managed to procure a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Reality Show Plans
Two months after the Eagles deal, Vick made an additional, rather startling, career move. The quarterback announced that he would be participating in a new reality show for the BET network, tentatively titled The Michael Vick Project.
The series is currently slated to air early next year as an eight-episode documentary series. BET has been careful to explain that as opposed to other reality shows, which highlight their participants' extravagant lives, The Michael Vick Project will strive to portray the gritty, honest nature of Vick's life.
During the show, viewers will watch as Vick rejoins the football community with the Eagles, and also plans to examine the athlete's troubled formative years and, inevitably, his dog fighting arrest.
Obviously, the new series has been met with skepticism, especially from animal-rights groups. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told The Los Angeles Times that "People who abuse animals don't deserve to be rewarded."
Despite the controversy, Vick is optimistic about his series. As he told The Los Angeles Times, he realizes that he "made some mistakes in the past, and I wish it had never happened. But it's not about how you fall, but about how you pick yourself back up."
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