As this article goes out, Michael Vick and his current team, the Philadelphia Eagles, will be playing against the Atlanta Falcons, the team by which he was drafted in 2001 and with which he spent his first six seasons

Michael Vick’s problems began years before the dogfighting scandal. Born in housing projects in Newport News, Virginia, Vick grew up witnessing drive-by shootings, drug dealing and abuse, and other crimes. After his scholarship to Virginia Tech and his subsequent drafting into the NFL, many of these influences following Vick. On numerous occasions, he had brushes with the law for marijuana use, dealt with issues stemming from sexually promiscuous behavior, and faced financial problems stemming from poor money management. When the news of a dogfighting ring reached federal investigators, all of Vick’s problems came to a head. He found himself in prison, bankrupt and without much hope of returning to football.

But this is where the story becomes even more interesting. On July 20, 2009, Vick’s prison sentence expired, and in August, he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles to a 1-year, $1.6 million contract (a relatively low contract, even more so considering none of it was guaranteed). Michael Vick spent the 2009 season as the third-string quarterback. In 2010, however, the situation changed. Donovan McNabb was traded to Washington, and Kevin Kolb, after injuries and ineffectiveness, was replaced by Vick as the starter on September 21. The troubled quarterback went on to set records, make the Pro Bowl, and win the Comeback Player of the Year award. As the 2011 season gets into full swing, Vick is set to be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

What an amazing turnaround! From poor kid in a housing project, to standout college quarterback, to talented but troubled NFL star, to prison inmate, to elite NFL quarterback—this is truly a story of redemption. Broke, discouraged, and written off, Vick rose above his circumstances to become even better than he was before.

But as amazing as his story is, Michael Vick might very well fall short of the power of redemption in Christ. While I do not pretend to know Vick’s spiritual condition, I am certain that the Biblical concept of redemption flows deeper than football careers and financial recoveries. Christ’s blood redeems or “buys us back” from the clutches of spiritual death, covering our sins (Romans 4:7) and wiping our accounts clean (Galatians 3:6). No earthly court, no physical sport, has to power to redeem us from such miserable circumstances!

If you have a chance, watch as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Atlanta Falcons. You might find yourself, like me, rooting for Michael Vick, hoping that he can maintain the place he has found in football in society. But remember that, as amazing as his redemption is, Michael Vick—and every man—still needs the redemption that only Christ can offer!