Vick pays surprise visit to school team

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick, recently released from prison, says he wants to help young athletes in whatever ways he can.

Vick on Monday paid a surprise visit to a high school football team in Virginia Beach, Va., meeting there with coach Tommy Reamon, who mentored Vick while coaching at Warwick High School in Newport News, Va., The (Norfolk, Va.) Virginian-Pilot reported.

"I love working with kids and putting smiles on their faces and being able to help them in whatever capacity that I can," Vick told the newspaper. "I've been through a lot of experiences in my life and they know it. And for the most part I can help them."

Vick, who wouldn't discuss his 23-month prison sentence for staging dogfights or his pursuit of an NFL comeback, has been tutoring Landstown High School quarterback Larry Joshua, whom Reamon called his "next Division I quarterback."

"He's been working real hard this spring and I've told others that this kid will be the real deal," Reamon told the Virginian-Pilot.