{"id":4964,"date":"2011-02-07T08:18:12","date_gmt":"2011-02-07T12:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ncdata.wpengine.com\/?p=4964"},"modified":"2017-10-04T15:11:10","modified_gmt":"2017-10-04T19:11:10","slug":"blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2011\/02\/07\/blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Project 21’s Dillard an Early Advocate for Vick’s “Comeback” Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"P21CobyDillard\"Back in January, Project 21 member Coby Dillard wrote a New Visions Commentary<\/a>\u00a0that suggested Michael Vick, the National Football League quarterback currently playing with the Philadelphia Eagles who was imprisoned for his role in gambling and the deaths of dogs in a dogfighting ring, had both a professional and personal turnaround.<\/p>\n

Vick\u2019s apparent redemption and his record on the field, Coby said, should earn Vick the NFL \u201cComeback of the Year\u201d award.<\/p>\n

In his New Visions Commentary, Coby wrote<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Under any circumstances, Vick\u2019s performance this past season with the Eagles would be another notch in the belt of a great quarterback. Under his circumstances, Vick\u2019s performance was exceptional. \u00a0Vick the football star returned, evolving into something few would have thought possible when he left prison.<\/p>\n

Vick changed \u2014 from the way he passed in the pocket to the way he escaped tackles. Vick was a key factor in the Eagles making it to the playoffs.<\/p>\n

More important than Vick\u2019s maturation as a quarterback, however, was his maturation as a man.<\/p>\n

No one condones what Vick did off the field. But that lesson appears to have been learned.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing like going from the penthouse to the jailhouse to the bankruptcy courthouse to teach it.<\/p>\n

Vick seems humbled, more mature and more aware of those with whom he keeps company.\u00a0 For most, that lesson comes easily.\u00a0 It was different for the young man from the projects of Newport News.<\/p>\n

The Bible says that as a child becomes a man he puts away childish things.\u00a0 Sometimes, those things instead become best friends.\u00a0 It\u2019s a painful thing Vick experienced, but his post-prison behavior seems to indicate he\u2019s learned.<\/p>\n

If nothing else is taken from Vick\u2019s story, let it be the example of the success of a man determined not to be another recidivist.\u00a0 Let it be of a man determined to show that there\u2019s more to a man than the \u201cfelon\u201d label \u2014\u00a0there\u2019s also \u201crole model\u201d and \u201cadvocate.\u201d<\/p>\n

In our society, those titles carry a lot more weight than the ones Vick could ever earn on the gridiron.<\/p>\n

Each year, there is an award given to the NFL player who improves the most from one season to the next.\u00a0 It\u2019s called the \u201cComeback Player of the Year\u201d award.<\/p>\n

Under any circumstances, Michael Vick\u2019s statistics alone would merit his consideration for the award.\u00a0 Under his circumstances, there\u2019s no reason he shouldn\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n

On February 5, the Associated Press awarded Vick with the \u201cComeback of the Year\u201d honor.\u00a0 According to the AP report<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In 2009, Michael Vick was quarterback on 53 snaps and was primarily used as a specialist, used on designed rushing plays 41.5 percent of the time.\u00a0 In 2010, Vick did most of his running on scrambles and the majority of his snaps were pass plays.\u00a0 The Eagles averaged 4.2 yards a play last season with Vick at quarterback compared to 6.6 yards this season.<\/p>\n

He also displayed the kind of reformation away from the game that impressed a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league.\u00a0 Vick received 29.5 votes, easily beating Seattle receiver Mike Williams, who got eight.<\/p>\n

Coach Andy Reid, who dealt with family problems when two of his sons were arrested on drug charges, believed Vick could change around his life.\u00a0 Few of Vick\u2019s supporters have been as staunchly behind him as Reid.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a plan and he stuck to that, both on and off the field,\u201d Reid said.\u00a0 \u201cHe knew certain things he wanted to get better at and he was open to the coaching on it, and he got himself back into shape\u2026 So, he did a great job with the football part of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then he spends a tremendous amount of time in the public, in particular on his days off\u2026 speaking and doing the best he can to right the wrong.\u00a0 You can never erase that, but you can sure help change others from falling into that same problem.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Back in January, Project 21 member Coby Dillard wrote a New Visions Commentary\u00a0that suggested Michael Vick, the National Football League quarterback currently playing with the Philadelphia Eagles who was imprisoned for his role in gambling and the deaths of dogs in a dogfighting ring, had…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,74],"tags":[77],"yoast_head":"\nProject 21's Dillard an Early Advocate for Vick's "Comeback" Award - The National Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2011\/02\/07\/blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"David Almasi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2011\/02\/07\/blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2011\/02\/07\/blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"David Almasi\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/#\/schema\/person\/986101645c65e8d001dc8de54beb396d\"},\"headline\":\"Project 21’s Dillard an Early Advocate for Vick’s “Comeback” Award\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-02-07T12:18:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-10-04T19:11:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2011\/02\/07\/blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award\/\"},\"wordCount\":675,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2011\/02\/07\/blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/P21CobyDillard-7.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"ConservativeBlog.org\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Articles\",\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2011\/02\/07\/blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2011\/02\/07\/blog-project-21s-dillard-an-early-advocate-for-vicks-comeback-award\/\",\"name\":\"Project 21's Dillard an Early Advocate for Vick's \\\"Comeback\\\" Award - 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