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Eagles quarterback, Michael Vick, was on 97.5 The Fanatic last week and Sheil Kapadia of Birds 24/7 transcribed some key points from Vick's interview with Mike Missanelli. Of the comments Vick made during the interview segment, one is sure evoke some added questions from fans and media alike. During the segment with Missanelli, the former Pro Bowler stated the following when asked about his turnovers:
"The other day, I broke out in the pocket, and the first thing Chip told me was to tuck the football," Vick said. "So I showed him how I was running with it, and he looked at it and he knocked the ball right out of my hands. And he was like, ‘Hold it like this.’ And what he told me felt comfortable. I had a tighter grip on the football. That should secure that problem as long as I work on it. Like I said, you’re always a work in progress, and even when you think you know it all, sometimes you don’t. The people who feel like they know everything, they don’t."
Keep in mind, this was just a few minutes after Vick boasted that he had in the league for 12 years. So in the dozen years that Vick was in the league, no coach, including Dan Reeves and Andy Reid (both made Super Bowl appearances) taught him how to hold a football? Vick in the same breath mentions that players are always "a work in progress" which is a fair very statement, but not knowing one of the the key fundamentals in the game going into your 30's is a bit frightening, considering the caliber of coaching the he has had.
The positive to take away from the comment is that he "now" knows how to hold the ball, following what seems like a brief coaching moment with Chip Kelly. Also, it may speak to how great of a teacher that Kelly really is and Vick is simply understating the significance of the coaching moment. Vick also said that he plans to work on the the technique, which confirms the notion that he really is doing all he can to improve and impress the coaching staff.
Do you think the comments Vick made are more positive than negative? Do you find it hard to believe that Vick has never been taught the right way to hold the ball, given the coaches he has played for?