ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Michael Vick received his second chance on the football field from coach Andy Reid, and now he’s getting a second career opportunity from the Kansas City Chiefs field boss serving as a coaching intern for the team.
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick (center) is among summer coaching interns for the Chiefs at training camp for the 2017 season. (Photo courtesy Chiefs PR, Chiefs.com)
“Like a lot of players, when they get done playing their searching for different things to with the rest of their professional life,” Reid said. “He’s got a bunch of routes he can go.”
Reid said Vick has done coaching at the high school level and enjoyed it.
Reid invited Vick to the team’s training camp as coaching intern. The opportunity comes as part of the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship. The program aims to help develop more minority coaching candidates in the league.
“He had an interest in coaching, so invited him up here and said, ‘Hey, give it a try, see what you think, see if you like it,'” Reid explained.
Vick, a 13-year NFL veteran, naturally works with the team’s quarterbacks.
“It’s been great for the players to bounce things off him,” Reid said. “He’s been in this offense before so he understands it.
Quarterback Tyler Bray said he welcomes the feedback from Vick, a player whose skill and talent he admired as an aspiring signal caller.
“He’s given me some advice about footwork. I know we’re a little different style player but he’s been in the game a long time, he knows what he’s talking about.”
This is not the first time Reid has offered Vick a career opportunity. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handed Vick an indefinite suspension in August 2007 following his guilty plea to federal charges involving a dog fighting operation. He received a 23-month prison sentence.
Vick received his release from prison July 20, 2009. Reid, then coach and executive vice president of football operations for the Philadelphia Eagles, signed Vick to a one-year contract on Aug. 13, 2009.
An injury to starter Kevin Kolb thrust Vick into the starting lineup for the Eagles in 2010. He led the team to an 8-3 record, earning Pro Bowl honors in boosting the Eagles to a playoff berth.
Reid’s summer interns have a history of success. New Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy both earned their first NFL opportunities as interns for Reid in Philadelphia.
Reid believes Vick a natural as a coaching candidate.
“Michael’s a great communicator,” Reid said. “Not only does he speak well, he see things and can articulate that. In coaching you’ve got to be able to that.
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Matt Derrick is the lead beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @MattDerrick.
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