Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison yesterday on a dogfighting charge by a federal judge skeptical of the quarterback's apologies. The sentence completed a freefall during which Vick tumbled from one of pro football's most marketed stars to a scorned perpetrator who arrived at the courthouse in a prison jumpsuit.
The sentence, hailed by animal rights groups as a message against a "blood sport," was longer than Vick and his attorneys had hoped for when they reached a deal with federal prosecutors in August. The deal culminated in the flashy quarterback's apology and his public vow to "redeem myself."
But U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson suggested yesterday that Vick misled authorities when he admitted bankrolling wagers on dogfights earlier this year but said he wasn't personally involved in the killings. Vick later admitted he once dropped a dog after a co-defendant tied a rope around the animal's neck, according to the judge.
"I'm not convinced you've fully accepted responsibility," Hudson told Vick, who wore the black-and-white striped jumpsuit during sentencing at the federal courthouse in Richmond, Va.
Vick, who reported to prison last month, is also facing state dogfighting charges in Virginia.
Federal sentencing guidelines called for a term of 18 months to two years. By sentencing at the upper end of that range, the judge sent "a clear message to criminals everywhere that this kind of gross and barbaric cruelty to animals will not be tolerated," said Ed Sayres, president and chief executive officer of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Vick, the NFL's top draft pick from Virginia Tech in 2001, signed a 10-year, $130 million contract in 2004. His No. 7 Atlanta Falcons jersey was worn by fans around the country.
He was known for his quickness and moves in the open field. The Falcons' Web site once boasted Vick was "blessed with rare athletic abilities not before seen at the quarterback position in the history of the NFL."
"People wonder how he could he jeopardize everything for this," University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias said yesterday. "That's the obvious question."
Tobias and other legal observers had said Hudson has a reputation for being tough in sentencing, particularly in public corruption cases, and Vick would not benefit from being a sports celebrity.
