PITTSBURGH — The crowd around the backup quarterback's locker was three or four deep. Somewhere in the middle, underneath the bright lights that never seem to go away, Michael Vick spent 13 minutes answering the same questions that never seem to go away.
Six years removed from the end of a federal prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring that changed his football career — and more importantly the arc of his life — Vick understands his mere presence in the NFL remains difficult for some.
As the newest member of the Pittsburgh Steelers spoke Wednesday less than 24 hours after agreeing to a one-year deal, a handful of protesters armed with homemade signs gathered outside the team's training complex to remind Vick of personal missteps he understands will follow him forever.