Michael Vick once redefined what was possible at the quarterback position — now, he’s out to redefine how the position is coached. As he takes the reins at Norfolk State, the spotlight shifts to whether one of football’s most electric talents can mold a new generation of passers without asking them to be him.
Can Michael Vick Coach the New Generation of Quarterback?
If you are old enough to remember Michael Vick at Virginia Tech, you realize one thing off the bat. You cannot teach that level of athleticism mixed with merging passing skills. Yet, the former All-American sets out to do that exact thing.
When he accepted the head coaching job at Norfolk State University, quarterback the culture surrounding would start as a pressing issue. At the HBCU level, like every other decision, fielding a strong quarterback cannot go understated.
So, what does that look like for Vick? At 2:05 of this video from Locked on HBCU, Vick lays out the case for confidence surrounding his ability to develop capable quarterbacks.
In their 87-year history, the Spartans struggled. Sporting an all-time record of 349-398-13, NSU limped along for decades. Despite intermittent flashes of brilliance, the program cannot seem to sustain winning.
More importantly, the apathy around the football team continued to be cemented, and the sport became an afterthought. When the school hired Vick, you could almost feel a sigh of relief. NFL writer Steve Wyche drew an interesting comparison when he tweeted:
“Michael Penix was named the starter the same day Michael Vick was hired as Norfolk State’s head football coach. Big Day for Falcons left-handed QBs to try to get their respective programs on their proper tracks.”
How would Picasso teach art class or Beethoven tutor young musicians? Basically, being a virtuoso with innate ability makes things difficult to instruct. When Vick played, he used vision, instinct, timing, and serious athleticism.
Combined with pure arm strength, he excelled on the basis of his physical gifts. It was only after his release from prison that you could truly see the mental game and pick up on passing nuance. Also, playing for a quarterback whisperer in Andy Reid did not hurt.
Vick will need to approach every quarterback individually. None of them will possess his gifts. For the benefit of Norfolk State, the new head coach needs to treat his quarterbacks like moldable clay that can eventually develop into a top talent.
That process takes time. As a result, the Spartans could endure a few early, rather painful losses. However, in their efforts, the administration must trust the process.
If you look at the polar opposite of Vick, Drew Brees’ name should immediately come to mind. Standing a tick over six feet tall, Brees never wowed anyone with athleticism. However, he can look down on his hand at that Super Bowl ring, based on what coaches cannot test for. In fact, Brees discussed that fact, stating:
“There are very few consistent, common threads among the most successful NFL quarterbacks. Most of them are intangibles, which you can’t measure with a physical test. You need leadership ability, competitiveness, drive, and will. You need focus, poise, and charisma.”
That’s not to say that Vick cannot coach a quarterback, but he will need to look outside of himself and see what the player can and cannot do in order to aid in that player’s overall development.
KEEP READING: Michael Vick’s Norfolk State Arrival Drawing Deion Sanders-Jackson State Comparisons
Michael Vick confidently claims that he can and will coach a good player at Norfolk State University. Considering the amount of internal work that he needed to do just to reach this point in life, his assertion could have merit. The MEAC and the entire football world will be watching. Spurred on by the success of Deion Sanders at Colorado, the Spartans head coach takes this opportunity.
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