Norfolk State head football coach Michael Vick left Saturday’s spring game with a message both blunt and hopeful: the Spartans are working to earn back respect one play at a time.
Vick, entering his second season at the helm, acknowledged the program’s struggles following a 1–11 campaign in 2025 but said the team’s focus this spring has been on accountability and growth.
“We just continue to push each other and serve each other the best way we can,” Vick told the media after the Spartans’ spring game.
Beyond personnel progress, Vick framed the spring game as part of a deeper rebuild centered on earning credibility within the conference.
“We went 1–11 last year, and there’s no sugarcoating that,” he said. “We were in a lot of games, almost there — but almost ain’t good enough. That win-loss column demands respect, and we didn’t gain that from anybody last year.”
To underscore that point, Norfolk State lost six of its 11 games by one score, which signifies how unlucky the Spartans were and that they couldn’t win on the margins.
View this post on Instagram
Norfolk State offense still needs work
If Norfolk State wants to take the next step in 2026, it will have to improve on an offense that ranked next-to-last in the MEAC in 2025, averaging 20.2 points per game and last in third-down conversion rate.
On Saturday, in the coaches-controlled dress rehearsal before fall camp, the offense committed three turnovers, including two pick-six touchdowns.
However, Vick stressed the offense would “get it together,” though the unit clearly will be a work in progress once again.
Spartans eye earning MEAC respect
Vick stressed that respect won’t be given, only earned “between the lines” through sustained effort and execution across four quarters of football.
“You learn a lot about yourself playing this game,” Vick added. “I told them, they’ll learn a lot about themselves — and it’s starting to show.”
The Spartans open fall camp in August, looking to turn the lessons of spring into tangible results when the new season kicks off.
“That win-loss column, I’ve never been afraid of it, but it does come with some level of respect. We didn’t gain that respect from anybody last year so we’ve got to go out and earn our respect.”
