Los Angeles (AFP) – Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, a top draft pick whose career crashed with his conviction on charges related to dog fighting, declared Friday that he is officially retired.
Vick’s announcement came some 24 hours before his former team takes on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51 in Houston, Texas.
Vick was the number one overall draft selection in 2001, but his tenure in Atlanta ended in disgrace when he was arrested for his role in a dog fighting ring and spent 21 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges.
He didn’t play at all in 2016 and said that helped him realize it was time to move on.
“In this moment right now, I’m willing to say yeah, I’m officially retired,” the 36-year-old Vick said during an ESPN interview.
“I think it’s time. I think going through the 2016 season without playing and being able to be a spectator and watch the game and enjoy it from afar and root for a lot of the players and coaches I once played for, I think kind of summed it all up for me.
“So now I think I’m officially ready, I’m ready to move on to different things in my life and different facets of my life.”
Vick passed for 22,464 yards and 133 touchdowns against 88 interceptions during 13 NFL seasons. He added 6,109 yards and 36 scores on the ground.
The Falcons drafted their current quarterback, Matt Ryan, when Vick was in prison in 2008.
He returned to the league after his release and was NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2010 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
His performance declined over the next two seasons with the Eagles. He started three games for the New York Jets in 2014 and three for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015.