| Falcons offer support to Vick |
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| George Henry FalconInsider.com |
Jan 14, 2006 |
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ATLANTA - Coach Jim Mora said Tuesday that the Atlanta Falcons continue to support quarterback Michael Vick, whose brother faces serious criminal charges for the third time in two years. "We have talked to Mike only to offer our support to him," Mora responded in an e-mail. "Other than that, the issue is a personal one between Marcus, his lawyers and the authorities in Suffolk, Va." Vick, 25, has not returned messages left on his cell phone the last two days. The three-time Pro Bowl selection's brother, Marcus Vick, was released on a $10,000 bond Monday after surrendering to police in Suffolk. Marcus Vick, 21, is charged with three misdemeanor counts of brandishing a firearm in an alleged altercation with three teenage boys Sunday night. He is scheduled to stand before a judge in Suffolk General District Court on Thursday. Police spokeswoman Lt. Debbie George said convictions on all three counts could result in a three-year jail sentence and a $7,500 fine. This latest incident occurred two days after Virginia Tech dismissed Vick from the football team. School president Charles Steger released a statement citing "a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play." Vick, a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection as a sophomore in 2005, was seen stomping on the leg of Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil during the Hokies' Gator Bowl victory Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Fla. Dumervil disputed Vick's claim that he later apologized. That incident would have resulted in a two-game suspension in 2006, but a revelation that Vick was charged Dec. 17 in Hampton, Va., with two traffic violations _ speeding and driving with a suspended or revoked license _ ended his relationship with Virginia Tech. Before his arrest Monday, Vick declared that he would apply for early entry into the NFL draft. The Falcons made Michael Vick, who led Virginia Tech to the 1999 national title game, the No. 1 overall draft pick of 2001. Atlanta signed Michael Vick to the NFL's richest contract at the time _ $130 million over 10 years _ in December 2004. He helped the Falcons advance to the NFC title game last season, but 2005 marked the first time in Vick's three full seasons as a starter that Atlanta failed to make the playoffs. In a 2004 interview with The AP, Michael Vick believed his brother would eventually learn from his mistakes. As young boys, Michael, Marcus and their younger sister were raised under difficult circumstances in a housing project in Newport News, Va. "I told him you're responsible for your own actions, and the only thing you can do now is try to make up for the wrongs you've done, and . . . prove that everything will be all right," Michael Vick said. "I think he understands that." Marcus Vick must appear in Hampton District Court on Jan. 17 to face the eighth and ninth traffic charges police have filed during the last three years. He was suspended from Virginia Tech on Aug. 3, 2004 _ the same day he pleaded guilty to reckless driving and no contest to marijuana possession in New Kent, Va. On May 14, 2004, Vick was convicted of three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $2,250. He was found innocent of having sex with a 15-year-old girl. He re-enrolled at Virginia Tech and rejoined the football team last Jan. 17. During the time he spent out of school, Vick maintained a part-time residence at his brother's home in Duluth, Ga. Story URL: http://falcons.scout.com/2/488801.html Copyright © 2005 Scout.com and FalconInsider.com |
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