A former NFL quarterback who has had numerous run-ins with the law in the past is being considered for two FCS football jobs, including one with a team looking to advance to the FBS level.
Former first overall pick Michael Vick is in the running for the head coaching job at Norfolk State in his native Virginia, according to the New York Post.
According to Adam Schefter, Vick is also being considered for the job at Sacramento State – a school looking to move from the FCS (Division I-AA) to the top-ranked FBS (Division I-A).
The Sacramento State job is particularly intriguing because the school claims to have $50 million in NIL money and plans to build a new stadium. The Hornets currently compete in the Big Sky Conference and are led by Andy Thompson, a coach in his second year.
As for Norfolk State, the Spartans fired head coach Dawson Odums in November after going 4-8 last season.
While Vick has not publicly confirmed any contact with Sacramento State, he did tell the Virginian-Pilot newspaper that he had spoken with University of Norfolk President Javaune Adams-Gaston and athletic director Melody Webb about the position.
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is drawing interest from Norfolk State and Sacramento State – two FCS (Division I-AA) schools that want him to be their next head football coach
Vick was a superstar with the Atlanta Falcons before legal troubles halted his momentum
He also said Norfolk State, an HBCU that competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, contacted him about the position.
Vick has no coaching experience at any level. He was set to become the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Legends in the short-lived spring football league, the Alliance of American Football, but was demoted to analyst before the start of the season.
In college at Virginia Tech, Vick led the Hokies to the 1999 BCS National Championship game, where they lost 46-29 to the Florida State Seminoles.
He was selected first overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first black quarterback to be selected overall.
Vick immediately became a star in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl recognition in 2002, 2004 and 2005 with Atlanta.
But his entire career came to an abrupt halt in 2007, when investigators discovered evidence that an illegal dog fighting ring was being run at a property Vick owned in Virginia. He pleaded guilty to federal charges and spent 21 months in federal prison.
Hours after pleading guilty, Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Shortly before he was released from prison in 2009, the Falcons released Vick after considering trading him.
Vick, a free agent, signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in August 2009 at the suggestion of Philly’s then-starter, Donovan McNabb.
Vick led Virginia Tech to a national title game in 1999 and was picked first overall by Atlanta
But he served 21 months in federal prison for his role in a 2007 dogfighting ring
After being released from prison, Vick enjoyed a career renaissance with the Eagles
When McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins in 2010, Vick spent a few weeks on the bench behind Kevin Kolb before eventually taking over the starting job. He enjoyed something of a career renaissance with Philadelphia, winning the 2010 Comeback Player of the Year award and being named to his fourth and final Pro-Bowl.
He played a total of five seasons in Philadelphia before hitting free agency in 2014. He signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets that season and made sporadic appearances.
At the end of his career, he signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. After being unsigned for the entire 2016 season, he officially announced his retirement in 2017.
Vick threw for more than 22,000 yards in his career in the NFL regular season and completed 133 passing touchdowns. He was also productive on the ground, rushing for more than 6,000 career yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. In the playoffs, Vick managed 977 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, 271 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
Since his retirement, he has played in the American Flag Football League and has been an NFL analyst on FS1’s “Fox NFL Kickoff.” He also briefly served as a coaching intern under former coach Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs in their 2017 training camp.