Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson played five years together in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2009 through 2013. They are now on opposite sides of one of the most intense HBCU rivalries in college football.
That will not stop them from being friends or rooting for each other’s success. In fact, the two first-year head coaches are apparently planning to work together whenever possible— including on the NIL front.
I have reached out for further clarification on this potentially ground-breaking college football partnership but I have yet to hear back as of this writing so I can only go off of what we know for sure. Coach Vick mentioned his relationship with Jackson at the first day of spring practice. Let’s start there.
Vick was hired as the new head coach of Norfolk in December. Jackson was hired as the new head coach of Delaware State exactly one week later. The Hornets and Spartans are heated rivals in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. It is one of the most interesting storylines in the sport this year.
Norfolk State got spring ball underway on Tuesday morning.
It was our first look at head coach Michael Vick.
Delaware State has yet to begin its spring practice period but will not be far behind. Vick and Jackson will have seven months to prepare for their first-ever head-to-head rivalry game on Nov. 1, 2025.
In the meantime, Coach Vick said that they are actually working together.
We’re actually trying to do some things together to help each other. You know, NIL and certain situations. We gonna work together. Not together, you know, the only time I’ll be rooting against him is when we play each other, but at the same time, you still my brother. I want to help him out as much as I can. Hee’ll help me out as much as he can. And we’ll be rooting for each other from afar.
— Michael Vick
It is all love between them.
I am very curious as to how Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson plan to work together on NIL. They are direct competitors in the same conference. They both have enough money to bankroll a pretty legit FCS roster by themselves if they chose to do so. So why would they help fund a rival’s roster?
I wonder if there is some kind of MEAC fundraiser in the works. Perhaps there is a way for Delaware State and Norfolk State to pull from the same booster base. I don’t know!
Or maybe that isn’t what Vick meant by what he said. Maybe he was speaking more to the logistical side of things. Jackson and Vick can get on the phone to talk through a player’s worth or just to chat about finances from a 30,000-foot view. The rival coaches are new to this whole thing. NIL is chaos. Having someone else, a friend, in the exact same position could be a resource for both guys during the initial learning curve over these next few months.
Stay tuned for more details if the Spartans get back to me!