Michael Vick: $18 Million Debt Paid Down By Jailed Dog Fighting New York Jet Quarterback Following Prison Stint- Also Plays Madden As Tom Brady!?

New York Jets quarterback and convicted dog fighter Michael Vick has reportedly paid down most of the $18 million of debt he owed creditors following his 2007 conviction for running a dog fighting ring in Virginia while he the star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. Since returning to the NFL in 2009 with the Philadelphia Eagles and then the Jets, Vick has made more than $49 million and been living off $300k a year, say reports. And while Vick is nearly done paying off his debt, he revealed his favorite Christmas memory... and let slip that he loves playing Madden as hated Jets rival Tom Brady and the New England Patriots  

New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick nearly out of debt https://t.co/dc6AGEPDR3

— ESPN New York (@ESPNNewYork) December 17, 2014

As reported by ESPN's Darren Rovell, Vick has paid off over 80% ($15 million) of his $17.8 million debt following his conviction, and has been "living on a $300,000 budget" as "more than 50 percent of what he was making went toward taxes and legal fees".

Said Vick in the story, "I had never been on a budget before, so I had to pay attention to everything that I was doing."

But won't someone think of the real victims? Boat salesmen. "Now I realize that I don't need certain things I bought back in the day," said Vick, "like a new boat."

According to a quote provided by Joseph Luzinski (a partner in Vick's liquidation trust) to Rovell, in filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as opposed to Chapter 7 (menaing he still had to pay back creditors), Vick is taking responsibility for his actions and his debt.

"What Michael did was the exception, not the rule," Luzinski said. "He didn't have to do this. The law allows you to skate by and pay your creditors 10 or 20 cents on the dollar, but he thought this was the right thing to do."

"I didn't want to stiff people who never stiffed me," Vick told Rovell.

The story prompted for NFL player and filmmaker Michael Berry to point out "Glad to see Michael Vick get out of debt. They love it when we go broke but never talk about the comeback."

Glad to see Michael Vick get out of debt. They love it when we go broke but never talk about the comeback.

— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) December 17, 2014

As for the dog fighting that saw Vick indicted seven years ago, as The Huffington Post report, the dogs rescued by the Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) - now known as the Vicktory Dogs - are doing great!

And with his future beyond this year still up in the air, Vick also spoke about his future... and revealed that he plays as Tom Brady in Madden! Reports TMZ, Vick was in New York this week "donating Nike sneakers to the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem".

When asked what his favorite Christmas memory was, Vick replied "a Nintendo" that took his ma two months to get. "That was one Christmas I'll never forget."

That's not all, the QB admitted he still plays video games saying "I still play still play Madden; would still play Tecmo Bowl if I could."

The QB then revealed that while he doesn't "have a specific team" for Madden, "I do play as Tom Brady a bit. I like to play with the Pats."

As for Vick's plans next year once his $5 million contract with the Jets finishes, and the Jets widely tipped to pick a quarterback such as Jameis Winston or Heisman trophy-winner Marcus Mariota in the 2015 NFL draft? "I don't know, we'll see," he said. "I'm very excited about my future."

Sounds like he wouldn't mind ending up with the Pats.