BET Media Group has formally greenlit a brand new docuseries spotlighting former NFL celebrity Michael Vick as he embarks on his subsequent chapter. Head soccer coach at Norfolk State College. An HBCU in his house state of Virginia. First reported by Essence, the yet-to-be-titled sequence will chronicle Vick’s journey from the gridiron to the sidelines. Capturing his evolution from NFL legend to mentor and chief of an HBCU soccer program.
In accordance with Essence, the sequence will “hint Vick’s highly effective evolution from electrifying quarterback to impactful chief—providing an intimate portrait of a person reclaiming objective by mentorship, service, and second probabilities.”
“I do know first-hand the facility that HBCUs have on a neighborhood and the chance they offer to so many student-athletes,” mentioned SMAC Leisure Co-Founder Michael Strahan. “Michael Vick’s dedication to impacting these younger males’s lives and passing alongside the items that soccer offered him is so inspiring. I’m excited for followers to hitch him on his journey with Norfolk State College.”
The announcement additionally marks a return to BET’s historic roots in showcasing HBCU soccer. Within the early 2000s, the community broadcast dwell HBCU soccer video games—typically on Saturday afternoons—which rapidly turned appointment viewing for Black households throughout the nation. For a lot of followers, it was greater than soccer; it was a celebration of tradition, neighborhood, and custom. The programming cultivated a passionate following that has lengthy known as for BET to re-enter the HBCU sports activities area. This new docuseries may sign that the community is listening.
HBCU soccer applications have develop into a fertile floor for compelling sports activities docuseries lately. ESPN’s Why Not Us, which premiered in 2021, provides followers a never-before-seen take a look at the FAMU Rattlers soccer program. In the meantime, Coach Prime gave viewers unprecedented entry throughout his time at Jackson State. bringing HBCU soccer to tens of millions of followers worldwide on Amazon Prime.
The BET-Vick docuseries joins a rising roster of HBCU-focused sports activities programming, together with Brick x Brick with JCSU Soccer, produced by HBCU Gameday. This sequence is heading into its third season, with episodes airing on Fox Soul. Garnering a devoted viewers by documenting the rebuild of Johnson C. Smith College’s soccer program, one apply and sport at a time.
Vick-BET collaboration
The collaboration between Michael Vick, Norfolk State, and BET continues the storytelling traditions inside HBCU sports activities, however with a brand new lens—one among redemption and management.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Michael Vick again to BET. Michael introduced his first sequence to our community, and now we’re proud to hitch forces with him once more—this time alongside our companions at SMAC—to inform a strong new chapter of his story,” mentioned Tiffany Lea Williams, Government Vice President of Unscripted Programming and Growth, BET Media Group. “From NFL legend to HBCU coach, Mike’s evolution is impactful, highly effective, and provoking. BET has all the time been a house for tales that remember progress, resilience, and Black excellence, and Mike’s return embodies all of that. We’re excited to highlight this new chapter and shine a light-weight on the center, satisfaction, and tradition of HBCU athletics by his expertise.”
“We’re excited to associate with BET to share the following chapter of our soccer journey and our lives, as we return house the place it began for us,” mentioned Michael and Kijafa Vick to Essence. With Vick on the helm and cameras rolling, Norfolk State’s upcoming season is poised to be one of the watched in HBCU historical past, each on the sphere and on nationwide tv.
