Lost in the surprising decision of Eagles quarterback Mike Vick to return to the team at a sharply reduced rate for 2013 is the fact that, when the 2012 season ended, Vick seemed to have had enough of his teammates in Philly.
He complained publicly at the time, saying that the lack of effort from other players “pisses [him] off.”
On Saturday, he tried to reconcile those remarks with his decision to play with those players for at least one more year during an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philly.
“I talked to about 15, 16 of my teammates already,” Vick told the radio station. “They know me as a person. They know me as a competitor. I wasn’t pointing the finger at one person. It would have been easy to just point out one group of guys or a couple individuals who I thought could have played better, but I said that including myself.”
But he didn’t include himself when he was criticizing his teammates. Instead, he singled himself out as the one player who went above and beyond for the cause.
“I give 110 percent effort,” Vick said. “My body is scarred up all year. I’m hurt, I’m bruised, get up after every hit and still try and fight and push. I do that for my coaches. I do that for my teammates. And I would expect the same thing in return. . . .
“It’s all about focus, dedication and commitment,” Vick added while he was cleaning out his locker the day after the Eagles lost 11 of 12 games to finish the year 4-12. “Until you get guys who are willing to better themselves week in and week out and want to win, you’re not going to win. And I haven’t played with guys like that.”
And now he’s playing with those guys again. Good luck with that.