Michael Vick’s adjustment to life as a Jet was going just great until a young teammate — no one will say exactly who — called him “sir” in the huddle last week.
Vick has been called a lot of things in his controversial career, but that one really stung the 33-year-old quarterback.
“That baffled me a little bit,” Vick said Wednesday after Gang Green completed another voluntary practice at their Florham Park facility. “I’m not that old, and I have to reiterate that over and over again.
“I may be 10 or 12 years their senior, but when you start calling me ‘sir,’ I need to start thinking about retiring.”
And in case you think Vick was lighthearted and smiling when he said that, think again.
“I let it slide,” he said. “I let [coach] Rex [Ryan] get him. They laughed about it. We got a good laugh off it. Seriously, [though,] deep down I really didn’t think it was funny.”
Vick might not have found the moment humorous, but it was just the latest example of how warmly and respectfully he has been received by teammates both young and old(er) since signing with the Jets in March.
Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, who was in junior high school when Vick was the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick by the Falcons in 2001, admitted he continues to pinch himself at being able to catch passes from the guy he idolized and used to play as in the Madden video games.
“It’s pretty cool, man,” Kerley said. “I try not to be starstruck, but [Vick] was my guy growing up.”
The awe and respect paid to Vick has eased what otherwise is a humbling transition in his career. No longer a celebrated starter like he was with the Falcons and Eagles, Vick is now a backup on a one-year deal, forced to compete with a shaky second-year pro in Geno Smith.
Vick said the warmth he continues to feel from the Jets locker room has made moving into this phase easier.
“I think from Day 1, I have been accepted,” Vick said. “These guys are great. This is an outstanding locker room. [We] work together, play together, believe in one another and that’s the recipe for a good football team. I’m excited to be playing with them.”
Some of Vick’s teammates said they didn’t know what to expect from him, even though several Eagles players — most notably LeSean McCoy — had showered him with praise for his off-field mentoring abilities.
Those skills, especially with regard to young players, is what attracted Ryan and Jets general manager John Idzik to Vick. According to several players, that’s exactly what Vick has delivered.
“Vick has been great,” veteran guard Willie Colon said recently. “He’s fit right in, and the guys really enjoy being around him. I haven’t seen any ‘Hollywood’ [behavior] from him.”
Vick said he has limited his mentoring in the locker room so far to the team’s young quarterbacks, a collection that also includes Matt Simms and rookie Tajh Boyd.
“Yeah, I try to mentor all of the quarterbacks,” Vick said. “I’m still learning every day. Obviously I’ve been playing a lot longer than those guys, and probably won’t be playing as long as they’re going to play from here on out, but I try to help them in every facet that I can.”
Just don’t call him sir.