Michael Vick Recalls Scoring 42 Touchdowns in His First Year as a Running Back

There were quarterbacks who could use their legs to make things happen before Michael Vick came along. Guys like Fran Tarkenton, Randall Cunningham, and Steve Young had that ability. Cunningham was actually the closest to the true dual threat we know today. However, from 1970 to 2000, QBs only recorded 100 or more rushing attempts in a season four times. And Vick matched that mark in each of his first four healthy years in the league.

Vick was selected No. 1 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft, a pick that they traded up to make. He didn’t play much as a rookie, but he led the Falcons to the playoffs (and an upset playoff win) in 2002 while earning his first Pro Bowl nod. His passing numbers were solid, but his 777 rushing yards were the third-most ever by a QB. Four years later, in 2006, he set a new QB record with 1,039 rushing yards.

Now, largely because of Vick’s trailblazing, dual-threat QBs have essentially become the norm. Quarterbacks have topped 1,000 rushing yards three times since 2019—twice by Lamar Jackson. Since 2001, there have been a whopping 42 seasons where a QB rushed the ball 100+ times. Vick changed the game for quarterbacks, which is fortunate, to say the least. Because back in Virginia, when he was growing up, he was also an unstoppable running back in peewee football. That’s right—a running back.

“When I was nine, I was a quarterback. 10 years old, I moved to running back because that’s what I was just in the neighborhood. I was hard to tackle, like for real. My first year at running back, I scored like 42 touchdowns,” Vick said in an episode of Get God podcast.

Any anecdote Vick gives you about his youth football days is probably embellished—but not by much. He’s like Bo Jackson lite in that way. Vick’s otherworldly athleticism was clear from an early age, playing pickup in the neighborhood.

Mike Robinson, co-host of the pod, was more skeptical that stats were even being recorded than that Vick was able to accomplish the feat. “You weren’t keeping no stats back then,” he said with a laugh

“I was like Marshawn and Mike Rob in one,” Vick responded, laughing.

 

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Vick held the single-season (1,039) and career (6,109) rushing records for quarterbacks for quite some time. It’s honestly surprising how long he held onto those marks, considering how prevalent running QBs have become over the past decade and a half.

However, the only one that has been able to match Vick’s level of production on the ground is two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who has now eclipsed both of those records. Vick’s influence and impact can be illustrated perfectly in a player like Jackson.

The Baltimore Ravens QB is like Vick 2.0: a dual-threat that is not just elite on the ground, but through the air as well. He holds the records for most career rushing yards, but also most games with a perfect passer rating (four).