Rusty Kennedy / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Michael Vick will serve the final 60 days of his sentence under house arrest, but his road back to the NFL will still be a difficult one.

Lauren Bloom, author of “The Art of Apology” and founder and CEO of Elegant Solutions Consulting, said that Vick has to be totally accepting of responsibility.

“We understand that dogfighting is part of a subculture in this country but when Michael became a professional football player, he chose to be part of mainstream society,” said Bloom. “His worst mistake would be saying somebody else made me do it or that it was part of something he was accustomed to doing. And he must proactively talk about why it’s a bad thing. It’s so brutal. It’s not only wrong but something that people find abhorrent. His franchise will have to demonstrate they recognize that too.”

Kirk advised against unfettered access to Vick after that first press conference.

“After all the issues have been addressed, I would advise against one-on-one interviews or follow-ups, and allow Vick to focus on the task of playing football again,” he explained. “It would be advisable to carefully structure his media interactions and present his future availability in a group setting for the time being.”

The team that takes a chance on Vick needs to be a solid one, says Kirk.

“The team best situated to handle the addition of Michael Vick is one with an established history of success and a head coach in a fairly secure position, but most likely with an unsettled quarterback situation,” he theorized. “If he's not brought in to compete and have a legitimate shot at playing and helping the team win, it's probably not worth the risks that come with it. But if you have these elements in place, you most likely have a fan base that will accept the risk for the potential payoff, and a veteran locker room with strong leaders who might be capable of bringing him into the fold and helping him grow.”

In his time as an analyst, Theismann got to know Vick well.

“I root for Michael Vick the athlete, but I root for Michael Vick the man even more,” said Theismann. “I don’t think time away from game will hurt him as a player. I really don’t. But he has to really, really, really show in a compelling way he’s contrite. He has paid a debt to society. Physically. Financially. Emotionally. But this is a social issue first and an athletics issue second.”

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