Of all the speakers and presenters at the annual Rookie Symposium, none will give the incoming players better advice than Eagles quarterback Mike Vick’s tips for dealing with the Commissioner of the National Football League.
When interacting with Roger Goodell, it’s critical to avoid lying.
“Fellas, don’t get it twisted,” Vick said, via Jeff Darlington of NFL Network. “This man is the real deal. He don’t play. If he asks you a question, answer with honesty. Tell him the truth. If you get into some trouble, be honest, truthful, forthright. Don’t play with this man. He’ll love you to death, but the minute you cross him, he’ll be all the way turned up.”
Vick knows that of which he speaks. He’s lucky to be back in the league after flatly denying knowledge of or involvement to Goodell in a dogfighting ring that has been uncovered on his rural Virginia property in April 2007.
The first overall pick in the 2001 draft had other words of hard-learned wisdom for the incoming class of players as they prepare to embark on their journey. Useful guidance on how to avoid trouble. But if/when trouble comes, it’s important to come clean.
That’s good advice for anyone. Because in everyone’s life there’s a version of Roger Goodell, who will react very negatively if told anything other than the truth.