He brought excitement to the quarterback position and the Atlanta Falcons when he entered the National Football League in 2001 and now, he sees the next superstar prospect.
Michael “Mike” Vick was sensational in his eight seasons (2001-08) with the Falcons and though an off-field issue took everything from him, he emerged better than ever. After spending two years in prison on federal dog fighting charges, he was reinstated back into the league. Atlanta had moved on from him; however, the Philadelphia Eagles rolled the dice and took a chance.
RELATED: Philadelphia Eagles select Jalen Hurts in the second round of the NFL Draft
In his second year with the Eagles (2010), Donovan McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins and Kevin Kolb was the starting quarterback. Vick witnessed Kolb sustain a concussion and Andy Reid pushed him into action. He had not been a starter in three years, but the skill set never left Vick.
He would account for 3,018 passing yards with 30 total touchdowns (nine rushing) and led Philadelphia into the playoffs. He set career-highs for completion percentage (62.6%), touchdown passes (21) and passer rating (100.2) — en route to winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year honor.
Carson Wentz is a highly talented quarterback, but he is also prone to injuries.
Since the Eagles took him at No. 2 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, he has suffered a serious knee injury, a back issue and a concussion. On Friday, Philadelphia drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round of this year’s venue. He was a record-setting quarterback at Alabama and took both the Crimson Tide and Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff. The 6-foot-1, 222-pounder was rarely ever hurt in college and carries a competitive nature to learn the Eagles’ system.
Upon the franchise taking Hurts, Vick applauded the move on Twitter.
Was a good pick from the Eagles. #BleedGreen https://t.co/pH36AewZXV
— Michael Vick (@MichaelVick) April 25, 2020
The goal is for Wentz to stay healthy, but Hurts provides a great insurance policy.
He helped the Tide to a national championship in 2017 and came off the bench to rescue the program to a Southeastern Conference title in 2018. Hurts is built for the big stage, and now he gets to win over fans in the city of brotherly love.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
