Bryan Burwell

In the aftermath of the Category 5 disaster that once was Michael Vick’s incredible American dream, we’re left with a lot to consider as the world begins sorting through the rubble in search of something worth salvaging. His life, his career and his reputation have been buried deeply under the mind-numbing debris of his own stupidity, his own bad choices and his own personal failures to lead rather than be led.

Michael Vick could have done something about this long ago. There should be no debate about that. He could have said “no” at any time along his own personal path of self-destruction that ran from the backwoods of Surry County, Va., all the way to the federal courthouse in Richmond, Va., where on Monday morning he will plead guilty to a number of heinous acts of animal cruelty and participating in an illegal dogfighting enterprise.

So now he is The Unforgiven, justifiably shoved aside by the same society that once readily idolized him as one of the most electrifying, entertaining athletes many of us ever saw.

It’s up to Vick to decide what happens next. He needs to be on the front lines of his own disaster relief. If there is any good to come from this nightmare — perhaps the only saving grace in this sordid mess — Vick must be willing to serve in a loud and clear voice as the ultimate cautionary tale in locker rooms all over America.

We need to get that message across loud and clear. We have to hear that something has clicked inside the brains of the next generation of high school and college stars who already feel the dangerous pull and criminal influences of their old neighborhoods. The lure has always been there, and it normally takes its toll much earlier than this. Vick was caught in it early, but not destroyed by it until he had already risen to the top of his professional life. Earlier this week, St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft stood outside the doors of his locker room, knowing how many lives have already been destroyed by an inability of too many gifted athletes to make a mad dash away from the dark side of the streets.

Eagles sign Michael Vick Vote: Did Eagles make right move signing Vick? 'I've done some terrible things,' Vick says Eagles owner reverses stance on dog fighting Eagles have interesting decision in 2010 Eagles sign Vick to one-year deal  |    Video Curran: Vick needs Eagles, they don't need him PFT: Eagles' Reid picked Vick 'sight unseen' PFT: McNabb says he's happy with Vick move PFT: This proves one thing — believe nobody PFT: Bengals reportedly made offer to Vick also The Grio: The return of the prodigal quarterback Newsweek: C'mon, give Vick another chance PFT: Vick expresses remorse on ‘60 Minutes’   Slideshow: Images of Vick's career Timeline of Vick's dogfighting career

A few months ago, Draft was invited by the NFL to speak at the league’s annual rookie symposium to offer some words of advice to the league’s next generation. His advice ought to be plastered over every wall of every locker room from boys club all the way to the pros.  “You can go into that locker room right now and there more than 80 men in that room,” said Draft, “and they could all tell you that they know plenty of guys they grew up with who were better than them, but never made it. In almost every case, the reason those guys aren’t here isn’t because they didn’t have the talent. They didn’t make it because they made the wrong choices, took the wrong turns, associated with the wrong folks and it destroyed them.

“I keep trying to tell these guys that they’ve worked too hard to get here,” said Draft. “They need to constantly remember how hard they worked to earn their place here, but how much harder they have to work to keep earning their right to stay here. They can’t let friends destroy that. The other day, it was 105 degrees out there on the practice field, and I was out there sweating and hitting and banging in all that heat, and you know I looked around a couple of times and I never saw any of my friends out there sweating with me. It was just me and my teammates out there.”

Vick never learned that lesson. He never was able to see the simple business practicality in protecting his American dream. He fell for the oldest con in the world, a guilt trip that made him feel some foolish sense of obligation to bankroll an illegal operation run by his “friends.” So he blew a $130 million contract over some $10,000 hustle and now the same “boys” he felt so obliged to “keep it real” with, have turned on their meal ticket to save their own hides. So now Michael Vick is on his way to a federal jail because of his sense of loyalty to his criminal friends, and that is keepin’ it really stupid.

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