Michael Vick Belongs in the NFL Hall of Fame
"Bullet" Bob Hayes is quite possibly the most game changing Wide Receiver to ever play in the NFL. At the 1964 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, he won Gold in the 100m, tying the then world record of 10.06 seconds. In his time, Hayes was literally the fastest person in the world. So, when the Dallas Cowboys selected Hayes in the seventh round (88th overall) of the 1964 NFL Draft, the rest of the league was forced to adjust.
Mike Ditka credits Hayes with forcing defensive coordinators to create what is now known as the Zone Coverage Defense. Before Hayes, coverage was strictly one-on-one, but Hayes was faster than any Cornerback assigned to cover him, so the Zone Defense was implemented to give Cornerbacks help over the top. In addition, Hayes is unofficially recognized for the invention of the Quick Screen. Because he was so fast, CB's would often line up against him 10-20 yards back, giving him more than enough time to receive the ball immediately after the snap.
The only tragedy of "Bullet" Bob Hayes' career is how long it took for him to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. He retired in 1976, but wasn't inducted until 2009.
My point is, there aren't many players who undoubtedly changed the game in their era to such a magnitude where it's still played that way today. Michael Vick is one such player.
The Michael Vick Experience
Even with preceeding QB's like Fran Tarkenton, Steve Young, and Randall Cunningham, no one was prepared for Michael Vick. Vick’s arrival in the NFL turned the league upside down. Few players in NFL history have been able to make jaw dropping plays look so easy. He brought a new dynamic to the quarterback position that defenders never had to worry about with quarterbacks like Manning or Brady, and revolutionized it in the process.
He had 64 rushes of 20+ yards, 4 rushes of 50+ yards, became the first QB to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, averaged more yards per run than per pass in 5 of his 13 seasons, and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2010. To this day, Michael Vick holds the NFL records for All-time Rushing Yards by a QB (6,109); Average Yards per Rush by a QB (7.0); Average Rushing Yards per Game by a QB (42.7); and Most Rushing Yards in a Game by a QB (173), in fact, Michael Vick is in the top ten of this category 3 times.
Michael Vick is statistically the most prolific scrambler in the history of the NFL, but like "Bullet" Bob Hayes, Vick's legacy is not one that's measured in stats, but of influence. His cultural impact on the sport simply cannot be denied.
After appearing on the cover of Madden NFL 04, where his godlike ratings effectively broke the game, gamers around the world had to see for themselves just how realistic Madden really was. But even beyond his digital dominance, he single handedly brought an entire generation of new fans to football.
In the late 2000's, whenever the Falcons played at home, they weren't just football games, they were events. The Georgia Dome wasn't just a stadium, it was a destination. Michael Vick brought an unprecedented level of excitement to the NFL that had never been seen before. He didn't just change the game, he changed the way people see the game. He change the perception of mobile Quarterbacks from a gimmick, to a viable game plan. And it could be said that later QB's like Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray owe him a certain debt of gratitude. Not to say that these QB's would not have been, be he made it easier for them to be.
The Unmentionable
The reason I have not mentioned the obvious controversy of Michael Vick is because Hall of Fame election bylaws stipulate that players can only be evaluated by their on-field contributions. Any personal issues players may have had are not to be factored into their candidacy.
Now I completely understand that he did was wrong, but to quote Stephen A., “If you are an advocate for individuals who have been incarcerated and are receiving a second chance at life because they can become better contributors to society, then in terms of resurrecting ones self and learning from their mistakes, Michael Vick is the quintessential roll model.”
