Michael Vick is heading into his second year as Norfolk State’s head coach after the Spartans endured a 1-11 season in 2025. Following a debut season where he led the Spartans through his first collegiate coaching campaign, the program has focused on building accountability and making steady progress this spring.
Michael Vick Uses Past Mistakes to Build Trust and Inspire Growth
Vick joined Josh Pate on the latest edition of the “Pate State Speaker Series” this week, where he said that he is 100% candid with his players about his life. He believes that by being open about his own struggles, he creates a safe space for his players to be vulnerable and honest with him in return.
“Our conversations could be cordial and genuine,” Vick said (6:30). “And I’m getting to know you and getting to like you, or maybe creating an opinion about you, you know, that conversation, but at the end of the day, I’m hoping that they ask me questions. I’m hoping they inquire about what I might have been through or what they might have seen me go through.
“And that’s just for their forward thinking. For me, it’s an opportunity, and it’s a situation where I could teach. And so, that’s what I’m all about. I don’t shy away from it. I It’s unfortunate that some of those things happen. But God chose me to be like a beacon of success for what success can look like. If it ever goes, you know, in the opposite direction in the direction you don’t want it to go in. So, I just use that as an opportunity to make people better.”
Much of Vick’s reflection stems from his past legal troubles, including his federal conviction tied to an illegal dog-fighting operation. He was the financier and a primary participant in an interstate operation that resulted in a federal conviction for conspiracy, almost two years in federal prison, and a loss of over $100 million in contracts and endorsements.
Looking back on his early years with the Atlanta Falcons, Vick has also admitted that inconsistency in preparation held him and his team back. “It was so many things I could’ve done to prepare myself to make it a lot easier on me,” Vick said, via NFL.com. “It was weeks where I would study hard. And it was weeks when I would just relax… try to play off sheer talent. And I think that hurt us in a lot of different ways.”
However, Vick went on to build a productive NFL career, proving elite athleticism and playmaking ability. He threw for 22,464 yards and 133 touchdowns in his NFL career, holding an 80.4 passer rating. Vick now uses his story to show his players that even if they make massive mistakes, there is still a path to redemption and success.
Looking ahead, Vick now aspires to be remembered as a true leader who poured into his players and helped them succeed on and off the field, as he told Pate. As Norfolk State gears up for the 2026 season, starting against Winston-Salem State on August 29, Vick is betting on a culture of trust to turn the Spartans’ fortunes around.
