Vick became a central icon in the history of Atlanta sports during his time as the Falcons’ starting quarterback from 2001-06. On the other side of the coin, Mack was an understated part of one of the most iconic offenses in Atlanta history. Both players, however, were big men on campus during their respective college careers.
Vick had a legendary two-year run at Virginia Tech from 1999-2000. Vick was 10-0 as a redshirt freshman starter during the 1999 regular season, and the Hokies ended that year with a perfect 11-0 record and a spot in the national championship game. In that championship game, which Virginia Tech lost 46-29 to the Florida State Seminoles, Vick threw for 225 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also ran the ball 23 times for 97 yards and an additional touchdown.
During the 2000 season, Vick was 10-1 as the Hokies’ starter, missing only the team’s win against UCF. He earned MVP honors in the team’s 41-20 victory against the Clemson Tigers in the 2001 Gator Bowl. Months later, the Falcons traded up to select Vick with the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. Vick completed his college career with 3,074 passing yards and 1,202 rushing yards; he accounted for 36 total touchdowns.
Vick’s 9.3 yards per play and 12.1 yards per attempt during the 1999 season are among the school records he still holds at Virginia Tech.
He made his first start for the Falcons against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 of the 2001 season, leading the team to a 20-13 victory. He finished his time in Atlanta with a 38-28-1 record, including a trip to the NFC Championship game after the 2004 season in which he led the Falcons to an 11-4 record as a starter and a first-place finish in the NFC South. He finished second in the voting for NFL MVP that season.
Vick threw for 11,505 yards with the Falcons, fifth-most in team history, and ranks seventh in team history with 3,859 rushing yards.
Notably, Vick became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a single season, which he did in 2006 with 1,039. He also capped off his debut season as a starting quarterback in 2002 by helping the Falcons become the first team in NFL history to beat the Green Bay Packers in a playoff game at their home stadium.
Mack attended the University of California from 2005-08 and helped the Golden Bears win a bowl game in each of his four seasons. He finished his college career with a 34-17 record and won the Dradd Trophy in 2008, which honors an individual for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Mack was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 21 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. During his time in Cleveland, he was regarded as a top-flight center and gained recognition alongside left tackle Joe Thomas as an elite player on an underperforming team. He signed with Atlanta as a free agent in 2016 and immediately became one of the most impactful players on the roster and helping the Falcons reach the Super Bowl after the 2016 season and the NFC Divisional round after the 2017 season.