Michael Vick was a guest of Fox Sports Daybreak yesterday to do what he's been doing virtually everywhere this week, talk about his new book. The guys over at Sports Radio Interviews transcribed what he said, which isn't really anything new, but if you couldn't watch that PIT video from earlier, this is more or less the same thing in text form.
You have a book coming out. Tell us a little about it and why you decided to write it:
"It's a feel-good book, very inspirational. I decided to write it because I feel like I end up sharing my story with a lot of people, verbally, and I just wanted to give them a different type of story, as opposed to what I've been talking about ... and put it in written form. They can visualize exactly what I went through - make it clear for them, give them a clear picture so they can develop their own perception of me. But it's more to inspire the young kids and keep them on the right track. The title, ‘Finally Free,' is just me finally letting it all go and moving on with my life."
What was the day in your life like when you went to prison?:
"I think that was the first step in my change, the change in my walk of life, knowing that at some point I had to restructure my life and do some things differently. I didn't know it was going to take that many days to do it and get there. But I was blessed when I came home, that I had a great support cast around me and people around me that was willing to help me, willing to give me a second chance. Prison time was tough, but I was able to do a lot of thinking, able to come to the realization that I had to change a lot of things in my life and I was committed to that."
Where do you think you first got off track?:
"I think it started at such a young age that it was kind of ingrained in my mind that certain things wouldn't happen, first and foremost, if you got caught. I had never seen anybody get chastised for what I condoned. So I just never stopped doing it. I don't think I made a lot of bad decisions or did a lot of sinister things before then, I just think it was karma that came back on me. ... At some point, things had to change, but I wasn't strong enough to change myself, so I think God put me in a position and a place where I was forced to reevaluate my life and change."
How much was your football future in doubt when you were in prison?:
"I thought pretty much all of my future was in doubt. I never thought that I'd have the opportunity to come back and accomplish so much on and off the field. I'm very thankful; I'm blessed. Every day I wake up, I know that I've got to make the right decisions. I know that every decision counts and that's what I preach to the kids."
What do you guys have to do in Philadelphia to turn things around from a disappointing 2011?:
"I think we have to have a great training camp. That's where it all starts, everybody coming together, camaraderie, understanding what needs to be done, everyone understanding their place and their position and knowing that success is the only thing that matters."