In an interview with his former Falcons coach Jim Mora on NFL Network, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick acknowledged that he didn’t have the right work ethic when the two were together in Atlanta.
Mora mentioned to Vick that the Falcons used to send Vick home with DVDs of game film, and Vick admitted that he never bothered to watch them.
“The DVDs would pile up in my car, Jim,” Vick told his old coach.
Vick credited his former teammate Donovan McNabb, who will quarterback the Redskins against the Eagles today, for teaching him how a professional quarterback has to work.
“Donovan had a lot of influence,” Vick said. “He’s an early bird. He’s here at 6:55, lifting weights and watching film, and I got into that routine.”
Of course, that raises the question of why Mora and Vick’s other coaches hadn’t already drilled the importance of that work ethic into Vick. Mora and Vick didn’t get into that in the portion of the interview that was shown, although NFL Network will show more from Vick and Mora later in the morning.
In a segment before the interview aired, Mora said sitting down with Vick had been cathartic.
“I had not seen Mike since the day I was fired in Atlanta,” Mora said. “It was emotional for both of us.”