Legendary NFL quarterback Michael Vick was poetry in motion on the football field. His spellbinding, ankle-breaking feats on the gridiron awed both his contemporaries and adversaries ever since he rocketed to national fame in the NCAA championship game against Florida State in 2000.
That title game catapulted Vick, who led the Virginia Cavaliers, to become the first Black quarterback to be drafted No. 1 in the NFL Draft in 2001. And although he is seen as a pioneer in achieving that distinction, Vick is going to pay homage to the scores of underappreciated Black heroes who came before him. Therefore, Vick is producing a documentary on the history and evolution of the Black quarterback in America’s favorite game.
The untitled docuseries, which is being co-produced by Fubo Studios and SMAC Productions, will feature Vick, a former four-time Pro Bowl NFL quarterback, and dissect the extra hurdles Blacks had to negotiate to helm a football team.
“I was always told that I revolutionized the quarterback position, but I also like to give credit to the ones who I idolized as a kid and who paved the way like Randall Cunningham, Steve McNair and Donovan McNabb,” Vick said in a statement obtained by Variety. “When you look at the evolution of the Black quarterback, it’s because of the people that came before us. And now, I’m thankful for the dual threat concept that has changed the game for the better.”
Vick will co-executive produce the series along with his wife, Kijafa Vick. FredAnthony Smith, vice president of non-scripted at SMAC Entertainment, will direct the series.
“The story of the evolution of the Black quarterback is the story of how a group of men fought for the chance to play a position, revolutionized the game, and impacted and shaped culture off the field,” Smith told the publication. “I couldn’t think of a better guide to take us on this journey than Michael Vick, someone who grew up watching so many of the groundbreakers of the ’80s and ’90s, and who himself has inspired so many of today’s greatest players.”
Vick said the docuseries will include former and current NFL stars such as Patrick Mahomes, Cam Newton, Doug Williams, current coach Andy Reid, former coach Tony Dungy and many more.
