Ron Mott Correspondent

ATLANTA - Here, in the city where he earned fame and fortune, signs of Michael Vick’s once-omnipresent status are fairly rare sightings these days.

His formerly top-selling No. 7 Falcons jersey has been jettisoned by No. 2, worn by his replacement, quarterback Matt Ryan. And the AirTran commercials that used to feature Vick now sport the voice of the guy who took over his job, too. 

Generally speaking, Vick’s a has-been in a place where he had so much, namely a record $130 million contract.

But, at 29, Vick has a chance to recapture some of that old glory — if given the opportunity. All indications are that “IF” is a pretty big hurdle to clear.

Monday, he officially regained his freedom, after a 2007 dogfighting/dogkilling conviction upended a stellar, thriving professional football career. Gone will be the house arrest, which he served in his hometown of Hampton, Virginia. The ankle monitor goes as well.

What remains are questions — and a spirited national debate — about whether this supremely talented athlete deserves another shot?

Has he repented enough?
Is an 18-month stint at Leavenworth, plus two months home confinement, punishment enough? Is forfeiting $70 million of the aforementioned riches an appropriate sanction?

How about nearly $1 million in restitution to care for the pit bulls that had the misfortune of being on the roster at Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels yet the good fortune to survive the mistreatment?

Whatever the answers — and it seems they vary from person to person, player to player, coach to coach — Michael Vick is in the unenviable position most ex-cons find themselves upon leaving the unenviable gated communities that are prisons.

He must display public contrition — genuinely and continuously — while making a case, however subtle or overt, that he has earned the right to renew his pursuit of happiness.  

Considering the vast repertoire of gifts he demonstrated on the football field in the past — which placed him in the superstardom category among an already elite group of individuals — it will probably make Vick happiest to regain employment in the National Football League. By extension, after tossing or running for a touchdown or 20 over the course of a season, it might make some team’s fans very happy, too.

Back to the field?
But Michael Vick’s road back to acceptance could be a long, winding, unpredictable path. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has promised to meet with his disgraced former player — a meeting some expect to occur before month’s end — though the league’s top man has made one thing abundantly clear about his take on athletes who run afoul of the law, which a growing number of his highly compensated performers have.

And, remember, Michael Vick was adamant in his denial of involvement in the dogfighting ring to both Goodell and his boss at the time.

“I don’t believe everybody deserves a second chance,” Goodell recently told USA Today.  “It’s not a right to play in the NFL. It’s a privilege.”

Many football insiders suggest Vick’s potential restoration of those privileges isn’t just about rehabilitating his tarnished image. He is said to be in talks with the Humane Society of the United States about becoming a spokesperson in the campaign to eradicate dog fighting, which has a loyal and fervently passionate underground following all over the country.

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Calls to numerous general managers around the NFL to assess Vick’s job prospects if he is reinstated by Goodell were not immediately returned.

His ultimate fate, some argue, is whether a team steps forward, willing to embrace the certain risks that will come by stitching the letters “V-I-C-K” to the back of a uniform and announcing over loudspeakers, “…and at quarterback, from Virginia Tech, Michaellllllll Vickkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!” Such an incantation is sure to elicit boos from the stands, to say nothing about picket signs outside the stadium.

In the end, acceptance or rejection of Michael Vick may have nothing at all to do with his  future actions. Many people have probably already made up their minds about where he stands with them, based solely on the value they place on a dog’s life, health and welfare.

Opinions on the topic cover the entire spectrum.

Michael Vick owes millions of dollars — after all, he’s bankrupt. He stands to make millions again. Yet the millions that matter most right now are Americans he must convince that redemption can’t exist without forgiveness.

And that could be the toughest pass he’s ever had to make.

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