Michael Vick’s arrival in Norfolk was a real head-scratcher—a surprise with a side of ‘wait, what?’ This four-time Pro Bowler has a mountain to climb to prove his unconventional coaching move was a stroke of genius and not just a Hail Mary pass. Deion Sanders, the ‘Prime Time’ legend, has shown the path is paved with gold—but also cobblestones—for NFL stars turned college coaches. His Jackson State success and now Colorado’s high-profile rebuild have set the bar high. Vick needs a couple of seasons of serious impact to even sniff an FBS power job. The good news? The 44-year-old is off to a flying start, attracting a slew of talented transfers. But controversy seems to be his shadow, always lurking nearby.

The NFL recruiting reality has been much different from the college football chaos in the portal. Coaches need to adopt different methods to outmaneuver other competing schools in the recruitment race. Initially, there were a lot of doubts and debate surrounding whether or not a former NFL prodigy could adjust to the shifted portal reality, but Vick successfully nailed that step.

Vick has landed former highly touted quarterback recruit Israel Carter from South Florida in Norfolk State. Carter was a standout for the Bulls this past season. He appeared in four games, throwing for 195 yards and four touchdowns. He boasted an impressive 92.9 QBR, completing 14 of his attempts. The top-tier Class of 2023 recruit will have the opportunity to hone his craft under one of the best in the business. Vick’s dual-threat QB experience in the NFL perfectly aligns with Carter’s unique play style.

However, Michael Vick isn’t the only one who is stealing the spotlight as an NFL athlete turned college football coach in his conference. Even his former teammate, DeSean Jackson, has been gunning for the Delaware State head coaching job, and he finally landed it! He’s now the head coach of the Hornets. But unlike Jackson, Vick is drawing a lot of backlash for his past criminal record over the barbaric dogs’ acts. Once the news of his new recruit hit the internet, fans flooded social media with humorous comments about his ruthlessness.

CFB fans made a monkey out of Michael Vick’s recent recruitment step 

Vick has been alleged to have participated in illegal dog fighting in 2007. Even President Ingrid Newkirk dished out a statement to Fox News Digital immediately after Vick’s recruitment in the Norfolk State. He said, “After interviewing him at PETA’s office in Norfolk, Virginia, while his sentence was under consideration, and hearing him tell me bald-faced lies about his poor dogs, I came to believe that he’s a charming, charismatic psychopath, but since I believe he won’t fight dogs ever again, PETA is focusing on working with law enforcement to bust those who still do.”

Top Comment by KFarrell7boys

Anyone who has the ability to treat defenseless animals in the disgraceful and barbaric way in which Vick did should...more

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As soon as word got out that Vick had landed a ‘Mini-Me’ dual-threat QB, the internet exploded. Instead of celebrating, people started dragging Vick’s nasty past, basically trying to link the recruit to his old dogfighting controversy. One CFB fan went for a hilarious comment: ‘‘You could say Vick plans on bringing that “dog” out of him if you will,” while another echoed the vibe, noting, ”He’s got an eye for dogs.”

Vick used to fight dogs in the family’s backyard. The careless, inhuman treatment led to a lot of injuries in the four-legged fur babies. Sometimes, his father would nurse them and help them to get back to health. But the hurt would still be there, causing Best Friends Animal Society to gatecrash.

Another fan pointed out this, writing, ”I hope Norfolk State’s mascot isn’t a dog.” You can’t blame the fans either. The spine-chilling history of abu-e with the naive animals is absolutely heartbreaking and deserves much more serious recoil than this.

The dogs have been resilient. All the dogs rescued from Vick’s property are collectively known as the Vicktory dogs at Best Friends. The name is symbolic of their unfathomable strength and power to endure anything and everything and still rise back to life. ”Vick will make sure he has that dog in him,” fans continue being dead sarcastic in the comments.

”Woo doggy”: we need to wait and watch how the saga further pans out in his new coaching career at Norfolk State down the road.