Former quarterback Michael Vick started the summer as a coaching intern with the Kansas City Chiefs. He will end the summer as a broadcaster with Fox Sports.
Fox Sports will formally announce on Sunday that Vick, a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, will serve as a studio analyst for FOX NFL Kickoff, the show that leads into Fox NFL Sunday. Vick will also make regular appearances on FS1 studio shows as part of his new job.
"I'm very excited," Vick told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview on Friday. "Over the last seven or eight months, I've done a lot of interviews, and I think I've gotten better as I've been put in those situations more often. Things really came together (with Fox) over the last couple months. They have shows that I have always watched and admired. My friends and family are thankful and proud of me."
As they did with former major league slugger Alex Rodriguez, Fox executives see upside in Vick's potential as a broadcaster.
“He was obviously an outstanding player, but we feel he has an incredibly bright future as an analyst," John Entz, Fox Sports president of production and executive producer, said in an email to USA TODAY Sports. "He has stayed close to the game and has many relationships with today's current coaches and players. We feel he can bring a truly unique perspective that intrigues and engages our viewers.”
Vick already made news on one of FS1's studio shows, Speak For Yourself, in July when he said that free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick should “cut his hair” and “just go clean-cut." Kaepernick, who sat out the national anthem last season, remains unsigned after he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
Vick said on the The Dan Patrick Show that he regretted that statement and wrote on Twitter that Kaepernick is "a bright kid with a great future."
"I think I'm ready for it," Vick said when asked if he's ready for every on-camera statement to be parsed by the public. "I have already been through that during my career and have had a lot of practice doing interviews. You have to be careful because anything you say can go viral.
"I have never criticized guys, but I will be critical. Great players understand that. I've seen the reactions from my teammates watching shows in the team lounge when they disagree with something. I'm a credible guy and I think people will respect that."
Vick, who didn't play last season, retired as a member of the Atlanta Falcons as part of a ceremony in June. Chiefs coach Andy Reid brought Vick on as a coaching intern last month, where he worked mainly with the quarterbacks.
"Coaching will be part of my life that I engage in at some point, but right now isn't the best timing for it," Vick said. "I prayed about this decision, so I wouldn't make an impulsive decision when it came to coaching vs. being a sports analyst. It's in the same realm since I will be involved in football."
Vick played 13 seasons in the NFL, the first with six with the Falcons as he led the franchise to two playoff appearances and an NFC title game. His tenure with the Falcons was interrupted after a 2007 conviction for his role in a dogfighting operation run on his property in Virginia.
Vick returned to the NFL in 2009 and played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before backup stints with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fox Sports will formally announce on Sunday that Vick, a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, will serve as a studio analyst for FOX NFL Kickoff, the show that leads into Fox NFL Sunday. Vick will also make regular appearances on FS1 studio shows as part of his new job.
"I'm very excited," Vick told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview on Friday. "Over the last seven or eight months, I've done a lot of interviews, and I think I've gotten better as I've been put in those situations more often. Things really came together (with Fox) over the last couple months. They have shows that I have always watched and admired. My friends and family are thankful and proud of me."
As they did with former major league slugger Alex Rodriguez, Fox executives see upside in Vick's potential as a broadcaster.
“He was obviously an outstanding player, but we feel he has an incredibly bright future as an analyst," John Entz, Fox Sports president of production and executive producer, said in an email to USA TODAY Sports. "He has stayed close to the game and has many relationships with today's current coaches and players. We feel he can bring a truly unique perspective that intrigues and engages our viewers.”
Vick already made news on one of FS1's studio shows, Speak For Yourself, in July when he said that free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick should “cut his hair” and “just go clean-cut." Kaepernick, who sat out the national anthem last season, remains unsigned after he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
Vick said on the The Dan Patrick Show that he regretted that statement and wrote on Twitter that Kaepernick is "a bright kid with a great future."
"I think I'm ready for it," Vick said when asked if he's ready for every on-camera statement to be parsed by the public. "I have already been through that during my career and have had a lot of practice doing interviews. You have to be careful because anything you say can go viral.
"I have never criticized guys, but I will be critical. Great players understand that. I've seen the reactions from my teammates watching shows in the team lounge when they disagree with something. I'm a credible guy and I think people will respect that."
Vick, who didn't play last season, retired as a member of the Atlanta Falcons as part of a ceremony in June. Chiefs coach Andy Reid brought Vick on as a coaching intern last month, where he worked mainly with the quarterbacks.
"Coaching will be part of my life that I engage in at some point, but right now isn't the best timing for it," Vick said. "I prayed about this decision, so I wouldn't make an impulsive decision when it came to coaching vs. being a sports analyst. It's in the same realm since I will be involved in football."
Vick played 13 seasons in the NFL, the first with six with the Falcons as he led the franchise to two playoff appearances and an NFC title game. His tenure with the Falcons was interrupted after a 2007 conviction for his role in a dogfighting operation run on his property in Virginia.
Vick returned to the NFL in 2009 and played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before backup stints with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.
