New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick is no stranger to making life-altering mistakes and becoming the emphasis of negative public opinion, but the signal caller believes that after he received a second chance former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice deserves one too.
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Vick appeared on WFAN 101.9 FM in New York City and spoke with radio host Mike Francesa about a myriad of topics, which included Ray Rice being released from the Ravens and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspending him indefinitely after video of him knocking out his then-fiancée and now-wife Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City elevator surfaced online.
Vick, who spent 18 months in federal prison for his role in a dog fighting ring before receiving a second chance and signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009, believes that Rice should also be afforded a chance to redeem himself down the line.
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"I hope so," the Jets backup behind second-year signal caller Geno Smith told the show when asked if he believed Rice should be given a second chance by the public and the league.
Vick was also asked what advice he would give Rice if he had the chance to speak with him given his history of losing the public only to change his lifestyle and have a chance at redemption.
"Honestly, I wouldn't know what to tell Ray Rice right now," Vick said. "That's just being transparent with you right now. That situation is just so out of control. I just hope masses of people learn from this. As athletes, we understand the position that we're in, and that we are superior athletes. Some things you've got to learn to bottle up. There are so many different ways to handle things that come about. We've just always got to be mindful and competent when we're in those situations."
Vick said he learned a lot from what he went through and that he believes decision-making is very important for Rice going forward.
"I took away a lot from what I went through -- the importance of decision-making," he said. "And like I tell so many people now, Ray Rice has had a great career. A lot of us had great careers and everything was in our favor, and you do the wrong thing in one hour of the day and everything turns around and is obviously not in your favor anymore."
He added: "Somebody told me you can go 23 hours in a day and do the right thing, and in the last hour screw up, and that's all people are going to remember. You've just got to be conscious of what you're doing and what's going on at all times. You just can't let things get out of character. We control everything. We control our actions, we control our movement, we control the people around us. We've got to take that into consideration at all times."
Vick's second chance has eventually led him to New York, where he has accepted his role as the No. 2 behind Smith and he told the show he expects his appearances in games to be "few and far between" this season.
Vick was in for three plays during the Jets 19-14 season-opening win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday at MetLife Stadium and he missed Eric Decker on a gadget pass during the game. Vick said he is happy to guide Smith and he said the second-year quarterback is like his "little brother."
"He walks around with the football in his hand a lot," Vick said. "He eats, sleeps and breathes football. I wish I could've been that way when I was 22 years old, when I was 24 years old. The things that I could've accomplished would've been so far-fetched."
While Rice's NFL career is very much up in the air, Vick's second chance continues with Week 2 action when the Jets meet the Green Bay Packers Sunday at Lambeau Field.
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