Michael Vick explains why he would have dazzled college football fans more in NIL era

Michael Vick was an unquestioned superstar.

He'll be remembered for his time with the Atlanta Falcons and even more so for the dog-fighting scandal that sent him to prison during the prime of his NFL career, but the college football version of Vick for the Virginia Tech Hokies was unforgettable.

He was incredible to watch, but sadly, VT fans were only treated to two years of Vick before he bolted to the NFL and became the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft.

Recently speaking with On3, though, the football player turned NFL analyst revealed that had Name Imagine and Likeness (NIL) deals been around while he was playing college ball — he likely would have stayed with the Hokies longer.

“I certainly would’ve gave Virginia Tech two more good years,” Vick said. “I can say that for sure. If not two, one. I think my situation basically came down to not my living conditions but the living conditions of my family, and I thought it was important that I did what was right in that moment for my family. I wish I wouldn’t have had to make that decision and if NIL was around, I would’ve been able to make a decision that would’ve been feasible for all parties involved.”

It's worth noting that in this hypothetical situation, Vick would have been taking a big risk by not coming out after his sophomore season. He, of course, was a phenom and worthy of the No. 1 pick by Atlanta, but going back could have created a scenario in which he got hurt playing college ball and saw his draft stock in this hypothetical future plummet.

Of course, some of the magic of NIL is that players can now make money while playing college ball, so perhaps the risk is not as great in 2023 and beyond even with the risk of injury. In fact, Vick thinks he could have made quite a bit of money playing college ball.

“I would say somewhere along the lines of maybe $250,000 to $500,000 because I was proven,” he said when asked to give his old self an NIL evaluation. “I was a proven commodity. I proved that I could go out there and get it done in a national championship and obviously now it’s almost like free agency. These guys got the ability to move and go other places and I’m pretty sure I would’ve had options and some form of representation that would’ve been representing me to help me make decisions.

“I would say somewhere along the lines of maybe between $250,000, $500,000, and that would’ve certainly kept me at Virginia Tech longer.”

What could have been...