Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons Legend, Explains 1 Way Prison Still Affects His Life

Former NFL legend Michael Vick explained in a recent Fox News that there is still one holdover persistent in his life that stemmed from the 21-month prison sentence that he served nearly two decades ago.

Vick was sentenced to nearly two years in prison during the prime of his NFL career after pleading guilty to being involved in a dog fighting ring.

Atlanta Falcons legend Michael Vick used a strategic board game to pass the time in prison

According to an article from The Spun, Vick explained that he fell in love with the game of Chess during his time in prison.

“I was always intrigued about it, all the pieces on the board and a lot to learn,” Vick said. “A friend of mine and I, we spent like three months learning how to play it. We took a three-month course on how to play it. After that, he was telling me I was ready to go. That’s kind of how I fell in love with it.”

“I wish I could play more,” the four-time Pro Bowler admitted. “Being able to get on the Chess.com app got me back into it. Whenever I’m traveling or moving around, I’m trying to play it and find a way to challenge myself. I love chess, man. I really do.”

Chess.com has a BlitzChamps tournament in which Vick and several other current and former NFL players competed.  The tournament had a $100,000 charity donation at stake.

The BlitzChamps tournament is one of several charities Vick has participated in since being let out of prison. He is also involved with the Humane Society of the United States as well as his own charitable organization, the Achieving Vicktory Foundation.

Michael Vick is not the only NFL player who has taken a liking to the game of chess

Other NFL legends and players participated in the tournament such as:

• Former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald
• Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie
• Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson
• Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray
• Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill
• Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Justin Reid
• Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins
• Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper

NFL Films hosted the event and NFL Films Senior Producer Greg Smith explained his excitement in an article from Chess.com.

“The explosion of chess into the NFL is truly a phenomenon, thanks largely to the incredible work of Chess.com.

“They’ve made chess accessible to everyone, everywhere, any time, and are innovative in their approaches to reaching new players. NFL Films is thrilled to be hosting BlitzChamps III.

“The tourney field is stacked with great personalities, legends of football, and some very solid chess players! Danny Rensch, John Urschel, and Cynthia Frelund are a first-class broadcasting team that provide insightful and entertaining commentary.

“Documenting intense competition and turning it into cinematic drama is what we do. Our NFL Films Presents special, airing this fall, will showcase the fascination with chess in NFL locker rooms, provide a dramatic re-telling of the NFL’s Chess Super Bowl, aka BlitzChamps, and detail the story of how Danny Rensch and team built a juggernaut company that could rival Andy Reid’s Chiefs.”

Fitzgerald, who is widely considered one of the greatest receivers in the history of the NFL, lost to Awuzie in the semifinals of the BlitzChamps tournament in 2022 and 2023.

Michael Vick drew comparisons between playing quarterback and playing chess

While this year’s participation was a debut for Vick, he maintains that Chess has been a part of his life since he departed from prison. He even compared it to playing quarterback in the NFL in the same article from The Spun.

“It’s hard to say [which is harder]. It takes a while to put together a playbook. When you can play the game and be confident and out-do the opponent — I feel like playing quarterback is like playing chess. All the thinking and trying to beat the defense.”

Vick definitely knew what it took to play quarterback at the professional level, even if his otherworldly athleticism allowed him to get away with not seeing the field as well as a pocket-passing quarterback like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.

Vick’s arm talent and speed allowed him to be one of the most electrifying players to watch in the NFL, but they also allowed him to get away with misreads more than many other professional quarterbacks, especially during his time with the Falcons.

It was clear that when Vick came back from prison to play for the Philadelphia Eagles he was seeing the field better than he was with the Falcons. When he was with the Falcons, he never had a completion rate above 56.4%.

After attempting just 13 passes in 2009, Vick never had a completion rate below 58.1% from 2010 to 2012. His most accurate year was in 2010 when he completed 62.6% of his passes. He went to his only post-prison Pro Bowl, was named Comeback Player of the Year and finished second in Offensive Player of the Year voting.

One of the most memorable games of his post-prison career came against the Washington Redskins in 2010. Unlike any moment in his career before that, Vick’s most notable plays in that game came from his throwing ability rather than his ability to make plays on his feet.

I’ll never forget Michael Vick putting the redskins on a t shirt in 2010 pic.twitter.com/mfKVAl8MtJ https://t.co/jGxbIlRkf5

— Ⓜ️ ひ (@i_justbechillin) August 6, 2023

It is impossible to say whether chess affected Vick’s ability to see the field from a passing perspective. One notable difference is that Vick was throwing in an Andy Reid offense when he made his comeback. Reid is widely considered one of the best offensive minds in the game and he has often made his quarterbacks’ lives much easier.

Vick definitely improved as a passer in the latter portion of his career and the impact of a strategic game like chess can’t be left out when discussing potential factors that contributed to that improvement.

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