Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, both members of the Falcons’ board, attended the news conference at Blank’s corporate headquarters in Atlanta.

“I’ve never seen someone who had so much ability and has fallen so far,” Aaron said. “It’s not what is going to happen as far as his football career is concerned. It’s just him as a man, as a human being, being able to get his life back.”

Asked if he expected Vick to return to the Falcons some day, Aaron replied, “I hope so.”

Outside the courthouse, a contingent of Vick supporters sang “This Little Light of Mine” and other hymns, while holding signs that said “We Love You” and urged Vick to seek support in religion. Steven Terry, pastor of Deliverance Tabernacle Church in the Tidewater area, organized the group of at least two dozen supporters.

“The scripture is clear — he that’s without sin, cast the first stone,” he said.

A few dozen animal-rights protesters also stood outside the courthouse, some holding signs saying “Prosecute All Dogfighters.”

In his written plea, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights. He said he did not personally place any bets or share in any winnings, but merely associating with gambling can result in a lifetime ban under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Three Vick co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty said Vick bankrolled the enterprise, and two of them said Vick participated in executing dogs that were not vicious enough in testing. The three had agreed to testify against Vick had the case gone to trial.

The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick’s cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star’s rural Surry County property and seized dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

Slide show Michael Vick's case in cartoons Top cartoonists around the nation weigh in on the Vick situation. msnbc.com

A federal indictment issued in July charged Vick, Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach, Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Tony Taylor of Hampton with an interstate dogfighting conspiracy. Vick initially denied any involvement, and all four men pleaded innocent. Taylor was the first to change his plea to guilty; Phillips and Peace soon followed.

The gruesome details outlined in the indictment — dogs were hanged, drowned and electrocuted — fueled a public backlash against Vick and cost him several lucrative endorsement deals, even before he agreed to plead guilty.

The Falcons defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 24-19 at home Monday night as Vick’s replacement Joey Harrington threw two touchdown passes.

“We’re putting the emotions, the shock, the disappointment, the anger and the once-held hope that this was not true behind us,” Blank said. “I assure you we’ll do all we possibly can to make this season a success.”

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