Forget Todd Carney, Greg Bird and Geoff Huegill – the real comeback story of 2010 is without question the remarkable return of NFL star Michael Vick.
So says former AFL star turned NFL punter Sav Rocca.
Vick is the quarterback for Rocca’s playoffs-bound Philadelphia Eagles, who just 18 months ago was twiddling his thumbs in a medium-security prison.
But Vick’s incredible play this year has led him to become the equal favourite for this NFL’s Most Valuable Player award alongside New England’s Tom Brady.
Rocca has overseen the Vick story since the 30-year-old signed with the Eagles midway through last season.
The former Collingwood and North Melbourne full-forward admits he cannot believe just how successfully Vick has returned to the NFL after a two-year stint in prison for his role in an illegal dog fighting ring.
“I often think: ‘What was he doing in there?’ Did he have a ball he was throwing against the wall or something?” Rocca told AAP.
“He doesn’t seem to have lost anything at all. He’s come back and slotted straight back in, which goes to show what a great athlete he is.
“His last three years from being one of the best players in the league to spending two years in jail and then coming out again and doing what he is doing now is just phenomenal.”
Vick’s incredible year has included two of the more remarkable performances of any player in the NFL in recent memory.
His record-breaking game against Washington in week 10 saw him become the first player in history to pass for three touchdowns and have two rushing touchdowns in the first half of a game.
Vick further enhanced his credentials against the New York Giants in week 15 when he sparked a fourth-quarter, 21-point comeback by throwing for two touchdowns and scoring a rushing touchdown all on his own.
But none of what he does in the field surprises Rocca anymore.
He describes Vick as the most talented athlete he has ever played alongside.
“Physically, he can do it all … he’s a great athlete,” Rocca added.
“He’s extremely quick, extremely strong and in this game he does it all.
“It’s just amazing because you never know what’s going to happen. You’re on your toes all the time watching from the sideline.”
Vick’s on-field transformation from criminal to MVP candidate is nearly complete, but Rocca is equally impressed with the steps he has taken to prove himself as a respectable member of society again.
Vick knows full well that there are many people who will never forgive him for torturing innocent animals – that’s why he devotes his spare time giving appearances to the American equivalent of RSPCA where he explains to school kids that he did the wrong thing, and that cruelty to animals is unacceptable.
“He’s doing all the right things away from football and that is transferring into his game,” Rocca said.
“What he’s done has just been remarkable.”
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