Vick met with union leader on Tuesday

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Michael Vick met with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith
earlier this week, after the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback finished serving 23 months in federal
custody for a dogfighting conviction.
George Atallah, assistant executive director for external affairs of the player’s union, says Vick and
Smith met one-on-one on Tuesday. Atallah gave no additional details.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Vick indefinitely, and said Tuesday that he’ll decide
whether to reinstate Vick "in the near future." Goodell did not elaborate, but has said
repeatedly in recent months that he would wait for Vick to finish serving his sentence before meeting
with the 29-year-old quarterback.
Vick was freed from home confinement Monday, but still must serve three years’ probation for his federal
conviction and a related state conviction.
NFL training camps open for veterans next week.
The union’s position has been that it will support Vick on a personal level until Goodell decides how to
proceed, but Atallah said Smith will likely raise the issue with Goodell.
"They talk frequently on a number of issues and I’m sure this is going to be one of them at some
point," Atallah told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday.
Vick’s meeting with Goodell is critical to his chance at winning reinstatement. The commissioner has said
he wants to see remorse and evidence that Vick has changed. Goodell also has said that Vick must not
only convince him, but the public that he is reformed.

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