A new documentary will profile controversial football star Michael Vick. Vick, born and raised in Newport News, attended Virginia Tech before making the NFL. From there, his story is notorious.
Illegal Dog Fighting in Surry, Virginia
For those who don’t remember, Vick was arrested on dogfighting charges in 2007. Investigators discovered he was financing and participating in illegal dogfighting at his kennel in Surry County, Virginia. In court, he admitted to being involved in the killing of dogs who did not do well in fights. Vick and three others were found guilty for their involvement in the dogfighting. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Vick: I can honestly say I let money changed me.
The film, available today to stream on the Bleacher Report app, began as a simple profile on Vick and the game of chess. He picked up the hobby in prison, where he spent 23 months for dogfighting. The profile expanded to an hour long focus on a man who had everything but risked it all on illegal activities. He tells filmmakers in the documentary “I became a person that I didn’t really know. I can honestly say I let money change me. Anytime that happens, that’s a recipe for disaster. And it led me down a dark road.”
Whether you love him or hate him, Michael Vick is a fascinating public figure. The number one pick in the 2001 NFL draft, he set record after record as quarterback and made four Pro Bowls. The dog-fighting scandal made all those accomplishments worthless in the eyes of the general public.
Life after prison
Since getting out of prison, Vick has had quite the comeback. He’s played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2009. In 2010, he was awarded with the title Comeback Player of the Year after leading the Eagles to an NFC East win. Going into the 2016 season, he is without a team at age 36.
Bad Newz turned Good
Off the field, Vick has done a lot of charity work and advocates against dogfighting regularly. The former home of his dog fighting kennel, Bad Newz Kennels, is now the Good Newz Rehab center. The center was the subject of another documentary, The Champions, about the pit bulls rescued from Vick’s dogfighting ring. That documentary is available now on Netflix.
Vick also started his own foundation to support at-risk youth with after school programs in Hampton Roads and in Atlanta.
Whatever your feelings on Vick, the new documentary entitled “Vick” will shed light on both his career and his controversies.
Watch Now
Visit: www.bleacherreport.com/vick to watch the documentary.
