"I've had to overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can bear," Vick told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Take a look at what I've been through. You ask certain people to walk in my shoes, they probably couldn't do it. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world - because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I've placed myself in, decisions that I've made - whether they were good or bad."
Michael Vick Given Courage Award, PETA Hates on Him... Again
By Quibian Salazar-Moreno on Dec 30th 2009 12:15PM
Although Michael Vick hasn't been playing as much as he wants for the Philadelphia Eagles, his teammates sure think highly of him. Last week the team voted and awarded Vick the Ed Block Courage Award, an annual award given by each NFL team in memory of the former Baltimore Colts trainer. The award is usually given to a player who has overcome a major injury or some other insurmountable difficulty to contribute to the team. Of course, PETA is pissed.
"The Philadelphia Eagles fumbled when they gave Michael Vick the Ed Block Courage Award, which was named after a man who advocated in behalf of abused children," PETA said in a statement. "Michael Vick should not be the person anyone points to as a model of sportsmanship, even though he has now exchanged dogs for touchdowns after serving time for extreme cruelty to animals. We wish him well in educating others, but this is not appropriate and does not mark a joyous moment in NFL history."
Regardless of PETA's opinions, Vick has not only been a positive presence in the locker room, but he's also continuing to talk to kids about the mistakes he's made and the proper way to treat animals. And Vick's happy that his team has taken notice of his hard work.
"I've had to overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can bear," Vick told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Take a look at what I've been through. You ask certain people to walk in my shoes, they probably couldn't do it. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world - because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I've placed myself in, decisions that I've made - whether they were good or bad."