Michael Vick announces retirement
Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick announced his retirement Friday in an appearance with ESPN's Josina Anderson.
Vick was selected first overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons out of Virginia Tech.
"In this moment right now, I'm willing to say yeah, I'm officially retired," Vick told Anderson. "I think it's time. I think going through the 2016 season without playing and being able to be a spectator and watch the game and enjoy it from afar and root for a lot of the players and coaches I once played for, I think kind of summed it all up for me.
"So now I think I'm officially ready, I'm ready to move on to different things in my life and different facets of my life."
Immediately upon joining the professional ranks, Vick's skill set was tantalizing, redefining the role of a dual threat quarterback for a generation of young players. Vick holds NFL records for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season, running for 1,039 in 2006. The 36-year-old also holds the career mark for most rushing yards by a quarterback, with 6,109.
Vick's career was marred by controversy, however. Members of Vick's entourage were arrested in 2004 for distributing marijuana in a truck registered to the quarterback, and he was fined $10,000 for an obscene gesture during a 2006 game against the New Orleans Saints.
Unfortunately, Vick may be best remembered for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring that worked out of a property he owned. Vick pleaded guilty in 2007 to felony charges and spent just under two years in prison for his role in the scandal.
Immediately after pleading guilty, Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL, and the Falcons forced him to pay back nearly $20 million of his $37-million signing bonus.
Vick joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009, playing sparingly in his comeback season. The following year, Vick submitted the best professional campaign of his career, throwing for 21 touchdowns against six interceptions while rushing for another nine scores, winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
After five seasons with the Eagles, Vick wrapped up his career with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, last playing in 2015.