Ex-NFL star Michael Vick to serve as honorary Pro Bowl captain despite an online petition with 560,000 signatures demanding his exclusion for his admitted role in dog fighting
- Michael Vick will serve as an honorary captain for January’s Pro Bowl in spite of a petition demanding his exclusion for his role in an illegal dog-fighting ring
- The Change.org petition garnered over 560,000 signatures as of Thursday
- Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the decision: ‘He’s paid a heavy price… He’s been accountable for it’
- Vick served 18 months in prison after admitted to running the dog-fighting ring
- He has since expressed remorse for his crimes. Vick supported a Pennsylvania bill in 2015 that gave police the right to break into cars to free pets
- Previously he supported a law that made it illegal to even attend an animal fight
Retired NFL star Michael Vick will serve as an honorary captain for January’s Pro Bowl in spite of a Change.org petition demanding his exclusion for his role in an illegal dog-fighting ring that led his 18-month imprisonment.
The petition contains over 560,000 signatures.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the decision.
‘Over the last, what is it, nine years or so, we have supported Michael in his recognition of the mistake he made,’ Goodell said. ‘He’s paid a heavy price for that. He’s been accountable for it.’
Vick, who pleaded guilty, has expressed remorse for his role in the dog-fighting ring, which was run outside of his mansion in southeastern Virginia. Since then he supported a Pennsylvania bill in 2015, while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, that gave police the right to break into cars to free pets.
Prior to that he supported a law that made it illegal to even attend an animal fight.
Vick will be one of the honorary co-captains, along with former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis, ex-Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green, and retired Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith.
The game will be played on January 26 in Orlando.
Vick was out of the league in 2007 and 2008 before returning in 2009 to play for the Eagles. After supplanting Donovan McNabb as the team’s starting quarterback, the former top-overall draft pick stayed with the team through the 2013 season before short stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets.
He retired in 2017 after earning over $124 million in 13 seasons.
A group of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protest outside the federal courthouse, Monday, December 10, 2007, in Richmond, Virginia