Sports

Michael Vick Reveals Punishment Policy If Norfolk State Players Make Mistakes Like He Did In The Past

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Michael Vick Norfolk State Punishment Policy Rule
Norfolk State Athletics

Michael Vick has learned from his mistakes and he expects his players at Norfolk State to do the same. His punishment policy as a college football coach will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but there is one underlying principle that serves as the primary rule of thumb.

Two strikes and you’re out!

Vick, in his first year coaching college football, will try to revive a program that has only won nine total games in the last three seasons. The Spartans were not particularly relevant in the MEAC or on the FCS level prior to this flashy hire back in December. They went out of the box to hire one of the most iconic quarterbacks in NFL history even though he has never served in this kind of role. His only experience as a coach was as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Legends of the AAF in 2019.

Of course, Vick comes with a little bit of a troubled past. The Virginia Tech and Atlanta Falcons legend served 21 months in federal prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring.

That was more than a decade ago. Michael Vick is a very different person today, as a 41-year-old, than he was as a 24-year-old millionaire at the peak of his NFL career. He learned from the past. One singular mistake does not define him as a person.

With that in mind, Vick told WAVY TV 10 that he plans to take a similar approach with his players. Although he is not necessarily using his story as a tool on which to teach, he is using his experience.

I think for them, it’s important to understand that, you know, you gotta live life. And of course, like I always tell them— you can make a mistake. Just don’t make it twice.

— Michael Vick, via WAVY TV 10

The policy at Norfolk State is rooted in second chances. Not third chances. Not fourth or fifth.

His players will be allowed to make one mistake. Not two.

If you make it, and then you understand why you did it and you move on from it, then there’s merit to that. I can understand that. But if you continue to do the same thing over and over again, it’s like—we got a policy. Like, yo, we just can’t… the working relationship, it don’t work.

— Michael Vick, via WAVY TV 10

Obviously, Michael Vick’s policy on punishment is not an exact science. Players will make mistakes that vary in terms of severity. If the mistake is not deserving of a second chance, the player will not get one. However, there is room to mess up and learn from it.

Vick does not want to be a cautionary tale. His incarceration is not something that he brings up to scare them. It is more of an underlying understanding in the room. He wants his players to know that actions have consequences. Those consequences can be a catalyst for personal growth. He will afford them that opportunity. Just don’t screw up more than one time because your spot on the team can and will be revoked.