NFL Star Discovers 'God Was Real' During 23-Month Imprisonment: 'Book of Psalms Was Very Powerful'
Many people have discovered God in the darkest times of their lives, providing them the light to see the path of redemption and giving them the impetus to walk that path.
NFL star quarterback Michael Vick is one of them.
After spending 23 months in jail following his conviction in December 2007 for unlawfully torturing and killing dogs and promoting dogfights, Vick told CBN News that it was only then that he found God to be "real."
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He said he prayed to be given a second chance in life, and God gave it to him.
"I screwed up one time. If I get another opportunity, which is what I prayed for, then I had to make the most of it," he said. "And I got that second opportunity ... The promises that I made to God, I had to fulfill those responsibilities."
Vick had been a rising talent in the NFL since he joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. In his stint with the Falcons, he became the first and only quarterback to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season in league history, according to ESPN.
But life came crashing down on Vick in 2007 when he was sentenced to prison for running a "cruel and inhumane" dogfighting ring and lying about it, according to Fox News.
Vick was suspended without pay by the NFL and lost all his lucrative endorsement deals as a result of his conviction.
He said the experience compelled him to deal with problems he'd been running away from, and it humbled him.
"I knew the things that I was trying to hide from was finally catching back up with me and it showed me that God was real, that you are not bigger than anybody, not better than anybody," he said.
While in prison, Vick said he found time to read the Bible, which gave him strength.
"The book of Psalms was very powerful. I leaned on the book of Psalms in my toughest and my most sorrowful moments, when I felt like I had no fight left," he said.
Vick was released from federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, in May 2009 after shaving a few months off his sentence for entering a drug treatment program. He returned home to Virginia, where he served two months of home confinement, according to Biography.com.
In August 2009, Vick made a successful comeback to the NFL after signing a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The following year, he was named Comeback Player of the Year by both the Associated Press and the Sporting News.
He later joined the New York Jets and then moved on to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015.
Vick said he's retiring this year but hopes to work as a coach in the NFL. "I'd definitely love to help work with young quarterbacks and develop them and still compete, you know, with the team and with the coaches," he said.
He didn't win any championship during his years in the NFL but hopes that someday, he'll help a team become a champion.
