Vick: Never thought I'd see $100 million again
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Vick: Never thought I'd see $100 million again
Jeff McLane and Jonathan Tamari
Michael Vick went back to Leavenworth.
After the press conference, and the cameras and the handshakes and hugs, Vick sat down in a quiet office, leaned back in a chair and reflected on where he was and where he is now. Three years ago, he was in a federal prison. Today the quarterback signed a six-year contract with the Eagles worth $100 million -- his second nine-figure deal.
"I used to sit in my prison bunker and be like, '100 million -- I'll never see that again,'" Vick said to The Inquirer. "You know, because you're getting up there in age. I was 29 when I got out and I thought if I could just get a fraction of that -- maybe 25 ... 30. That would be good. That would be good. I just got it to where I know I'm going to have to work.
"So just mentally what I put myself through and how it just seem like in the blink of an eye I'm sitting right here right now. But even over the duration of those two years it was a long time. But it was all worth it, man. It was a lot of hard work, sacrifice."
Vick, of course, lost nearly everything he had when he was charged and convicted of running a dogfighting operation in 2007 -- football, freedom and much of the ten-year, $130 million contract he signed with the Falcons in 2004.
But he got it all back and is now the first NFL player ever to ink two nine-figure deals. There have been eight nine-figure contracts in the history of the league. Vick has two. The Eagles have handed out two, the other going to Donovan McNabb.
"Breaking barriers," Vick said. "I'm always breaking barriers."
While Vick could theoretically earn $100 million from the deal, it is unlikely. The sixth year voids if he participates in more than 35 percent of the snaps in any year of the deal, a league source said. There would be no way the Eagles keep Vick around for a sixth season if he played less than 35 percent of the snaps for five years.
The Eagles and Vick agreed to the deal on Monday afternoon, but Vick said he did not go out and celebrate. Instead he stayed home with his fiance, Kijafa Frink, and his children and watched the movie "Diary of a Wimpy Kid."
"I just chilled in the house with the kids and the family," Vick said. "That's just me -- conservative."
Vick was extra conservative driving to the NovaCare Complex Tuesday morning for practice and then to put his signature on the future.
"I made sure I put my seat belt on," Vick said. "I made sure I did that. Extra precaution."
- Bleh... It's a damn trophy we don't have because on one particular Sunday, Tom Brady played just A LITTLE bit better than McNabb.
— Cr0we 
Comment removed.- The only reason anyone goes with any program is reward. Know thyself. — Cr0we
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- BRAIN DEAD, IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH A CHAMPIONSHIP, WERE TALKING ABOUT FOOTBALL!!! IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT KILLERS!! LOOK WHAT AMERICA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 400 YEARS AGO, OH I SUPPOSE TO FORGET THAT!!! FOCUS ON FOOTBALL, DONT GO THERE!!!— ray rhodes
- What America was responsible for 400 years ago? America didn't exist as a nation 400 years ago. The pilgrims hadn't even gotten here yet. Idiot. — Cr0we
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- Your name should be chowder head instead of snapper head. — madaboutit
- My sentiments exactly, Ray Rhodes.
— madaboutit - Showing up for your job and/or fulfilling your obligation to the state for serious crimes isn't any more of a sacrifice than handing over $1.93 for a medium cup of coffee at McDonald's. What did he sacrifice and for whom? From where I'm sitting it looks like he fulfilled his obligations in a series of quid-pro-quo transactions. Nothing more. What else ya got?— CatoTheElder
- WERE EAGLES FANS FIRST, HECK THEY COULD OF KEPT MCNABB WITH ALL THESE WEAPONS. ITS NOT ABOUT VICK ITS ABOUT THE TEAM. SO ALL OF YOU FAKE EAGLES FANS GO SOMEWHERE ELSE WITH YOUR OPINIONS, THIS IS PHILLY SPORTS— ray rhodes
- WERE DO YOU GET THOSE FIGURES FROM, NONE OF YOU DONT REALLY NO HOW MUCH HE OWE HIS CREDITORS. YOU DONT KNOW THIS MAN. IF HES GUARANTEED 40 MILL AND HE OWE 19MILL TO HIS CREDITORS HE SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE 20 MILL LEFT FOR HIMSELF. BESIDES TALK ABOUT HIS POSITIVE SKILL SET, STOP BASHING YOU SOUND HORRIBLE. GO BASH BIG BEN OR SOMEONE ELSE LEAVE MY TEAM ALONE— ray rhodes
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- Who died and made you forum moderator? Step away from the computer if you don't like the opinions you are reading.— CatoTheElder
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