Starting the NFL season suspended, Michael Vick heads home to Virginia, where seeing his son, Mitez, is his first priority. It’s very important for Michael to be there for Mitez because Michael’s father wasn’t there for him. His father, Michael Boddie, was a hard drug user who was in and out of his family’s life. Because of this, Mr. Boddie has taken steps to put his past behind him and rebuild relationships with all of his children, leading to the first-ever dinner between Michael and Marcus Vick and their father. At dinner, the strain is evident, but all three men do their best to move forward with their relationships in a positive manner.

While at home, Michael takes the time to visit his childhood mentor, Pooh Johnson, from his childhood refuge, The Boys and Girls Club. Michael and Pooh talk about keeping the fees for the kids extremely low so that they can all receive the same mentoring that Michael and his brother did as kids. As always, Michael will pick up the difference. They also discuss paying off the last $40,000 of the club’s mortgage and Michael and Pooh talk about ways to raise the money before heading out to his old football field to talk to the new crop of aspiring football stars. After watching practice and offering quarterbacking tips, Michael talks to the kids and inspires them to stay on the straight and narrow, both on and off the field.

His suspension over, Michael returns to Philadelphia and prepares for his first regular season NFL game in 1,000 days. After spending the early mornings with his two young daughters and their mother, Michael’s live-in girlfriend Kijafa Frink, Michael heads off to prepare for the week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Upon his return, he must watch game film. Though uninitiated in the finer points of football, Kijafa embraces spending quiet time with Michael while he prepares to play ball. Likewise, after nearly two years away from Kijafa, Michael appreciates the little moments like quiet nights at home watching tape with his loving girlfriend more than ever.

On game day, at home, Kijafa and daughters Jada and London make signs in support of their father. Across the stadium, many tailgaters revel in the thought of the explosive Michael Vick joining their beloved Eagles; but outside of the stadium, many protestors wave signs and denounce the Eagles’ signing of the polarizing quarterback. The game turns out to be fairly uneventful, as Michael only ran once for seven yards and did not complete a pass in two attempts. Nevertheless, he was able to get his feet wet and knock some rust off. The day’s big triumph occurs after the game when Michael’s whole family joins him at his condo to celebrate his return. When Mr. Boddie arrives, the gathering takes on a bigger meaning and Michael and his father have a nice moment, each toasting the other on their return.

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Credit: BET.com