Vick taking star role seriously in second chance
During the debut of his new "V7" athletic wear clothing line this week, Michael Vick described himself as "excited" for the start of the Philadelphia Eagles' season.
From talking to a few Philadelphia coaches, the sentiment was more than just words for Vick, who they insist has been working harder than in the past on some nuances of the game, and on grasping the totality of the Eagles' offense. There have been times when Vick's wondrous physical skills have almost been a crutch for him, when he has relied too much on those abilities to pull him through, and didn't work enough on some of the more cerebral pursuits.
But Vick apparently has realized he's into his 30s now, and is aware the Eagles were one of the league's biggest disappointments in 2011, and has dedicated himself to reversing that. The club's "dream team" year wasn't quite a nightmare for Vick personally -- he still established career bests for completions and yards -- but it wasn't memorable, either.
His interception total from the previous season more than doubled, his quarterback rating plummeted by more than 15 points, Vick turned the ball over at critical junctures of games and his decision making was frequently flawed. And so he has spent considerably more time at the team's Nova Care facility this offseason, picked the brain of offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg more than in the past, and led by example. It's a big jump from, say, some of his years in Atlanta, when Falcons officials worked hard to camouflage Vick's questionable work habits and reliability.
Vick was rarely one of the first into the building or the last out, often showed up late or at the last minute, and for some responsibilities, didn't show at all.
There was one occasion on which the Falcons were forced to cancel a press conference to introduce new uniforms because Vick, scheduled to be one of the models and whose promised presence was used to lure the media for the event, blew it off.
