He listens—and he hears

Sporting News, The, April 9, 2001 by Paul Attner

MICHAEL VICK has much to learn about life and being a quarterback in the NFL, but he is ahead in the game because he knows how and when to pay attention

They grew up together, these second cousins named Aaron and Ookie. Aaron was older, the outgoing one. Ookie he would always sit back and listen and think. Think neighborhood wasn't the best, and it was easy to get into trouble. Just stand on the corner for a few minutes and see. But they were always playing some sport, hanging at the Boys and Girls Club, staying away from harm.

Funny how things evolve, Even now, years later, Ookie still is listening and Aaron still is doing the talking. And sports still is the center of their universe. Just this January, Ookie flew to New Orleans, where Aaron now lives, and they spent 12 days together, laughing and lying back and hashing out things.

Ookie needed guidance. The world outside of Newport News, Va., knows him as Michael Vick, and he is expected to be the first pick in this month's NFL draft. He's only 20 and has a lot to learn about life and certainly about the NFL. Aaron's last name is Brooks, and he hopes to be the Saint's starting quarterback next season. He's just 25, but he already has his degree in anthropology from the University of Virginia and two years of pro experience.

So Ookie came to stay at Aaron's place. For five days, they were joined by Zeke Bratkowski, the former Bears and Packers quarterback and 26 years a coach. Bratkowski, 69, was hired by Vick's agent--who also is Brooks representative--to act as Ookie's on-field tutor. They talked, these two men of such contrasting generations. And Ookie kept quiet and listened,just as he always had done.

He welcomed the help. Already, he had found that making adult decisions wasn't easy, or necessarily enjoyable. Twice during the past seasons, he declared he would return o Virginia Tech. He enjoyed college, liked the games, felt comfortable in Blacksburg. But once he realized he could be a top-five choice, he wavered. Ultimately, he turned for direction to a committee of advisers that included Brooks and Bruce Smith, once a Virginia Tech player. Their feedbcak confirmed his lofty status.

"When they said I could be top five, I figured it was time for me to be a man and move on to the NFL," Vick says. "I have never looked back since."

He originally signed with two inexperienced Virginia-based agents, a fact he denied at the news conference during which he announced his plan to turn pro. But almost immediately, he had second thoughts about his representation. Again, he sought out Brooks for aright.

"He knew I was sweating," Vick says. "That's when we talked. It saved me. Saved me." Brooks put him in touch with his agent, Andre Colona, who had never represented a first-round NFL pick. After interviewing him and other agents, Vick finally settled on Colona and mega-agency Octagon with its massive marketing, public relations and financial arms.

"Things weren't going the right way," Vick says. "But they have settled down. Lots of stuff has been taken off of me, so now I can relax and focus on what I have to do. Everyone I need is now there for me."

But this peace of mind wasn't instantaneous. He was vulnerable, and Colona asked Brooks and Bratkowski to offer guidance. Their message was 2001 fresh. They told him about how life would be in the NFL. They told him about the dangers of hangers-on and gladhanders and the temptations of money. They told him about the expectations he would face, how his work ethic would be dissected, how his every quote would be examined and his body language analyzed.

If Ryan Leaf received this advice, he didn't heed it. But unless he is fooling lots of people all of the time, Michael Vick will not be another Ryan Leaf. If the Chargers take him with the first pick-they'd be nuts if they don't--they'll finally get this quarterback stuff figured out right

Because Vick listens. He listened three years ago when his high school coach told him he would be best off if he redshirted a season at Virginia Tech. He did--and he was. And he's listening now when he is told by Bratkowski and Brooks that this NFL step isn't about instant gratification. He's not sophisticated enough as a quarterback to immediately run a pro offense. He needs at least a year of schooling, just like he received in college.

Not that he would turn down a chance to start from Day One. That's his ego talking. But don't be misled by his guarded way and easy manner. He might be susceptible to stumbles in judgment. But he also has a steely confidence about him, a self-assurance, an intriguing maturity that eventually overrides his more youthful leanings.

Give him a season in the classroom. Then ... "I don't think the NFL will ever have seen the likes of me, a quarterback Who moves the way I do and throws the way I do," the says. Oops. That sounds cocky. He catches himself and' adds quickly, "I'm not saying that with arrogance or anything. That is just how I feel."

He's not alone in his assessment. Houston general manager Charley Casserly, hoping the lefthanded Vick would stay at Tech for another season and become his No. 1 choice in the 2002 draft, has studied him extensively. "There has been no quarterback like him in the league before," Casserly says. "Steve Young comes the closest in speed, but this guy is faster. He's going to make plays. He's going to be something to watch."