Wearing a striped prison suit in court Monday, Vick apologized to his family and U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, who admonished the former Pro Bowler, saying, "You need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you."
Vick said he was "willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions." But Hudson chose the high end of federal guidelines that called for his prison term to be 18 to 24 months.
The reason: "I'm not convinced you've fully accepted responsibility," Hudson told Vick, meaning the judge agreed with a probation officer's finding that Vick lied about his role in killing dogs and also about his drug use. (Vick tested positive for marijuana Sept. 13, shortly after he pleaded guilty in the case.)
Later, outside court, Lawrence Woodward, one of Vick's attorneys, said his client "wants a chance to prove himself when all this is over."
Whether the NFL is part of that proving ground might depend on whether he comes out of prison "a better person" . . . "or a bitter person," said Dan Reeves, Vick's first coach with the Falcons.
Gil Brandt, the personnel executive who built the Dallas Cowboys' best teams, predicted a franchise would take a chance on Vick -- perhaps as a receiver or defensive back rather than quarterback.
"It's like a student who drops out of school for a couple years," Brandt said. "He has a hard time reacquiring his work habits and study skills."
Former Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs said that if he were still in the league, he would have no qualms about giving Vick an opportunity because "No. 1, he's a good guy. He's not flaky, and fighting dogs wasn't a bad thing in the environment he grew up in. I'd take a chance on him in a heartbeat."
How would McCombs deal with protesters who disagree? "You also have people who believe in a guy paying his dues and putting in his time," he said. "Let a guy make his living."
Others weren't so sure.
"How many teams would be willing to take the PR hit that goes along with signing him?" asked an NFC personnel executive who requested that his name not be used. "Not many."
And that's assuming Vick could stay physically fit and mentally football sharp while in prison -- a couple of major ifs.
Quarterbacks coach Steve Clarkson put the odds against Vick's catching back on in the NFL as a quarterback as "monumental."
