"It's a lot of vibing thoughts" - When Michael Vick opened up about childhood memories that molded his persona

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was appointed the Norfolk State Spartans head coach in December. The former NFL star has had an eventful career and while Vick was lauded as an incredible talent, he also had a 21-month federal stint in prison for involvement in a dog fighting ring.

During a February 2024 segment of "VladTV," the former Atlanta Falcons star opened up about growing up in a challenging environment in Newport News, Virginia (1:10):

"It was fun man," Michael Vick said. "When I think about my childhood, it's a lot of vibrant thoughts. And it was a lot of things that happened within our neighborhood that I probably shouldn't have seen or probably shouldn't have been a part of.

"You know about the parallels of things that happen around you but for the most part, I felt like I was surrounded by a good group of friends who were kind of like on the same playing field that I was on.

"And I was a part of a lot of things that happened but I learned that you gotta be tough in certain circles that you grew up in. So, that was just a part of my life and I'm glad that I got to experience it 'cause it helped serve me in a lot of different ways."

Michael Vick embracing coaching

After a 13-year NFL career, Michael Vick retired in 2017 and pursued a coaching career as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Legends in the Alliance of American Football League in 2019. In 2024, Vick made the transition to coaching the Norfolk State Spartans.

During an interview with "WTKR News" last week, Vick revealed his enthusiasm at taking the Spartans job.

“It’s amazing,” Vick said. “I’m a part of the Norfolk State culture now, so I felt it was only right to come and sit courtside. We’re winning, most importantly, but the atmosphere is amazing, and I’m just excited to be part of the Norfolk State tradition and culture.

“This has been fun, to be acclimated and back involved in football, coaching, having the team that I get to coach for days on end is the most exciting thing that I’ve encountered in a long time since playing the game.”

Michael Vick who is a four-time Pro Bowler taking the Norfolk State job has been likened to Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders taking the Jackson State Tigers job at the FCS level before transitioning to the FBS level in 2022.