FROM THE NFL TO THE SPARTANS: MICHAEL VICK
BY: ALAUNA MARABLE
To end 2024, Norfolk State welcomed former NFL star, Michael Vick, as the new head coach for the football program. This transition in power makes him the 19th head coach in the program’ s history and would be his first head coach position in his career.
Although most of Vick ' s football-related career has been as a player or an analyst, he always wanted to get into coaching. He has been hosting football camps since he joined the NFL, and created the V7 Experience football camp in 2011.
“ When the opportunity came to come to Norfolk State, and it was a head coaching job, it was something that I always wanted to do,” Vick said.“ I had to take it into consideration which led to me being here.”
A Hampton Roads native growing up in Newport News, Virginia, Vick played football at Virginia Tech as a quarterback. He declared for the 2001 NFL draft and was selected as a first round number one overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons. With this selection, he added to history as being only the second player from Virginia Tech to be a round 1 first pick selection and making Virginia Tech the only school in the ACC to produce a pair of number one overall picks.
During his NFL career, he played 13 seasons spending six years with the Atlanta Falcons, five years with the Philadelphia Eagles, a year with the New York Jets, and a year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Trying to start his coaching career in 2017, he worked with the Kansas City Chiefs for the summer as a coaching intern before accepting an offer to work with Fox Sports as an analyst. Fox is where he called home for the past seven years, until saying goodbye to join the Spartan Nation.
“ It ' s my way of giving back,” Vick said about hosting football camps.“ That ' s a way to get a good look at the talent that you might be coaching in the year, and just a chance to be around young men and teach them football.”
The 2025 season is kicking off, and the Spartans have a packed schedule with 12 games this season, five including home games. The most anticipated matchup will be on th
October 30 against Delaware State with Vicks former teammate as the head coach, DeSean Jackson. Games for the season will be broadcasted on various networks including ESPNU, ESPN Plus, Big Ten Network, NEC Front Row and Flow Sports.
The culture of the team has shifted positively compared to last year according to returning offensive lineman, Vincent Byrd Jr. He sees a bigger sense of pride amongst his teammates and views Vick’ s character as calm, cool, and collected.
“ It’ s a lot more competitive – there ' s a higher sense of accountability and urgency,” Byrd said.“ I see there is a bigger sense of pride. People are caring about what they’ re doing, and not just being a robot.
HEAD COACH MIKE VICK DURING THE START OF THE GAME( EMMANUELLA ADDO).
18 SPARTAN ECHO