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Michael Vick Captured His First Win As Coach of Norfolk State

Vick's Spartans forced an overtime win on Saturday vs. Virginia State.

Madison Williams

Michael Vick earned his first win as Norfolk State coach on Saturday in a overtime matchup.
Michael Vick earned his first win as Norfolk State coach on Saturday in a overtime matchup. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
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It was a close call, but former college football and NFL star turned Norfolk State coach Michael Vick earned his first win as a coach on Saturday vs. Division II opponent Virginia State.

Entering the fourth quarter, Vick's Spartans were down 23-7. Norfolk State then scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 31. Virginia State had a chance to seal the win at the end of regulation with a field goal attempt, but missed and forced overtime. Spartans kicker Evan Helfrich notched a 29-yard field goal in OT to officially help capture Vick's first victory as head coach.

Vick was understandably elated after the game, using his press conference to express his gratitude for the role and his Norfolk State squad.

"I just love what I'm doing," Vick said. "I love being around these guys every day. I love coming in and trying to find ways to motivate them, push them to become better players, better men. That's our moment. ... That's what opportunity we have together to do something special we feel is going to continue to add up to. We'll take it one game at a time and one day at a time, and enjoy this."

The Norfolk State football team posted a video of Vick receiving the game ball in the locker room after the win. His squad cheered and whistled at him during the celebration. He gave a quick motivational speech to his Spartans in the clip.

"It means the world to me," Vick repeated.

Vick and the Spartans will face Rutgers on Saturday, Sept. 13.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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