Tony Dungy believes Michael Vick is focused on putting his life back together.
Tony Dungy believes Michael Vick is focused on putting his life back together.
The former Indianapolis Colts coach has agreed to mentor Vick as part of the quarterback’s conditional reinstatement to the NFL.
“I’m not sure what football is going to hold for him; that will be discussed at length in the sports pages over the next few weeks,” Dungy said in a post on his blog. “I believe in second chances for people who admit their mistakes and are committed to changing.”
Dungy retired in January, two years after leading Indianapolis to a Super Bowl title. He has long been involved in prison ministries.
Dungy met with Vick in May at the federal penitentiary where the former Atlanta Falcons star was serving an 18-month term for running a dogfighting ring. Dungy said he also met Vick on a second occasion and has spoken to him on the phone several times.
“I think Michael deserves the chance to show people he has changed and learned from past mistakes, but my true hope is that he will make sound decisions about his future and, at the same time, let people know more about the person that I’ve come to know recently. I know the public will be skeptical, but I think, over time, people will find there’s a different side to him than what they’ve seen so far.”
______
To read the rest of this article, subscribe to our digital or paper edition. For previous editions, contact us for details.
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
