Before the 1997 opening of the state-of-the-art facility, William “Dick” Price Stadium, Norfolk State football fans flocked to Foreman Field on Saturdays to see the area’s premier program.
One confident kid made his way into the venue with his middle school football team, taking in his first breaths of a college football atmosphere.
A talented athlete with gridiron dreams of his own, he quickly came to recognize the pride and respect given to the phrase “Behold the Green and Gold” throughout the games he attended.
Playing for the “Spartans” Pop Warner team during his youth, the child felt a connection to the program, almost in an ironic sense. He called himself a Spartan in the earliest stages of his playing career, before the fame and status he’d earn years later.
Before hearing his name called first in the 2001 NFL Draft. Before earning four Pro Bowl selections. Before transforming the quarterback position for decades to come.
Over two decades later, the stars aligned to bring the now legendary figure back home.
Norfolk State Director of Athletics Dr. Melody Webb formally introduced Michael Vick as the school’s 19th head football coach on Dec. 23, 2024 – a full-circle moment for one of the greatest athletes Hampton Roads has ever seen.
From the moment Norfolk State announced the hiring of Vick, buzz and anticipation built rapidly around the program. The monumental move drew headlines from all the modern heavyweights: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, NBC News, and more.
Vick’s presence and the ensuing attention brought immediate limelight to one of the top public universities in the South and the largest HBCU in Virginia.
The era began with a star-studded press conference on NSU’s campus just a few days after making the hire.
Media members filled the medium-sized venue, as did several household names that carry significant weight both in the Hampton Roads community and on a national level—NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson and NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith smiled and photographed the moment with the same enthusiasm as the Norfolk State alumni in attendance.
Vick outlined the mindset he brings to the program and the steps it will take to cultivate the winning environment he envisions. Every member of the team – from the coaching staff to the student-athletes to the student managers – will play a pivotal role in a broader movement to accomplish a championship goal.
Grateful for the opportunity to lead the next generation through the sport that shaped his life, Vick paid homage to Norfolk State’s motto: We see the future in you.
“You see the future in me, I see the future in myself, and I hope that the young men that we serve see the future in themselves,” he said. “That is the most important part of all of this. We are going to make the most out of this. We’re going to win, we’re going to have fun, and give this 110 percent.”
Courtesy: Norfolk State Athletics/ Alex Lehmbeck
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