Eagles QB Michael Vick Leads In Pro Bowl Ballots
Just two weeks ago, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was leading the polls for the Pro Bowl.
But now, there is a new king atop the charts.
Less than two years after he was released from prison for running an illegal dog fighting operation, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is the number one pick for the 2011 Pro Bowl to be held at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.
The star quarterback has over 729,000 votes from fans, which is almost 40,000 more than Manning has, the National Football League (NFL) said on Wednesday.
Vick told reporters, "I think it's just a credit to everything I've tried to accomplish on and off the field, just working as hard as I can to change things around and be a part of the solution and not the problem."
The quarterback added, "I changed my life and it just goes to show anybody can do it. It's an unfortunate situation, the things that happened, I wish I could go back and change it all. I wish I could take it all back. The only thing I can do is move forward."
It just goes to show that the fans are forgiving towards Vick over the dog fighting operation charges, for which he was incarcerated for 18 months, and instead hope to see him return to the field and regain his form.
Vick was a backup to start the season with the Eagles, but later led them to take first place in the National Football Conference (NFC) East. Even though he missed three weeks because of a rib injury, Vick has 21 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Vick praised his fans for their support, and said that, "(I) couldn't do it without them. (They have) been very supportive over the last three years. What more can you ask for?"
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is in third place for the Pro Bowl, behind Manning and Vick, with 623,074 votes. Minnesota Vikings running-back Adrian Peterson and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers are in fourth and fifth place, with
591,598 and 547,340 votes respectively.
Vick praised his coaches and team-mates for helping him get into a position to pull off a remarkable comeback. He said, "It's a great honor, a great position to be in right now, because I haven't made the Pro Bowl yet, but it's a credit to my coaches, a
credit to my teammates, [backups] Mike Kafka, Kevin Kolb, guys who just helped me get through this season," Vick said.
The Eagles play against the Dallas Cowboys, who are 4-8 for the season, on Sunday at Cowboys Stadium.
The 2011 Pro Bowl is scheduled to take place on 30 January next year.
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