NFL | Imprisoned Michael Vick seeks protection from Chapter 11

RICHMOND, Va. — Imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick filed for bankruptcy protection while serving time for federal dogfighting charges, saying he owes between $10 million and $50 million to creditors.

Vick filed Chapter 11 papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newport News on Monday. The seven largest creditors listed in the court papers are owed a total of about $12.8 million.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback hopes he can, "after the conclusion of the bankruptcy case, rebuild his life on a personal and spiritual level, resurrect his image as a public figure, and resolve matters with the NFL such that he can resume his career," according to the filings.

Vick is serving a 23-month prison sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty last year to bankrolling a dogfighting ring. He was subsequently suspended indefinitely without pay and lost all his major sponsors, including Nike. He also faces state charges related to dogfighting.

The debt includes part of a signing bonus that the Falcons are seeking to recover.

After the plea on dogfighting charges, the Falcons tried to recover about $20 million in bonuses Vick earned from 2004-07. But a federal judge held that Vick is entitled to keep all but $3.75 million of the money paid to him for playing football through the 2014 season.

According to the filings, Vick's other debts include $4.5 million owed to Richmond-based Joel Enterprises Inc., and $550,0000 owed to Radtke Sports Inc. for breach of contract.

In May, a federal judge ordered Vick to repay about $2.5 million to a Canadian bank for defaulting on a loan. The Royal Bank of Canada had sued Vick in September, arguing his guilty plea to a federal dogfighting charge — and the resulting impact on his career — prevented him from repaying the loan.

A default judgment for $1.08 million also was entered in January against Vick and a business partner in a lawsuit brought by Wachovia Bank over a loan for an Atlanta-area wine shop and restaurant.

Favre reportedly texted Packers GM

Brett Favre has said little about reports that he is considering a return to the NFL, other than telling the Sun Herald of Biloxi, Miss., that "it's all rumor."

But WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee reported Monday that the quarterback sent a text message to Packers GM Ted Thompson on Saturday — and that Thompson replied that he is on vacation and the two men will have to talk later, according to ESPN.com.

According to the ESPN report, Sports Illustrated said on its Web site Monday that Thompson has ignored phone calls from Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, while sending an intermediary to Mississippi to talk to Favre. According to that report, Cook is expected to request that Favre be taken off the NFL's reserve/retired list within the next 10 days.

Notes

• The NFL has hired Pennsylvania's police chief to make sure there are no more signal-stealing scandals like the one involving the New England Patriots last season. Col. Jeffrey Miller, 45, was appointed to the new post of director of strategic security Tuesday and begins work Aug. 18.

His job will involve overseeing everything from pregame security screening to ensuring that team signals are not intercepted by opponents through electronic bugging or other devices.

As state police chief, Miller in 2006 oversaw the investigation after a gunman killed five girls at an Amish schoolhouse before taking his own life. He was praised for balancing the public's need for information and the Amish community's desire for privacy.

• A deal could be reached within days to sell a majority interest in the Pittsburgh Steelers to the chairman of a Pittsburgh-based investment firm, taking control of the NFL franchise away from the Rooney family. The shares would be sold to Stanley Druckenmiller, chairman of Duquesne Capital management, making him principal owner of the team. Two officials familiar with the talks said Monday that the deal could be completed by the end of the week.

• Las Vegas police say they have made a second arrest in the robbery and beating of Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker. Deshawn Thomas, 40, was arrested Monday on kidnapping, robbery and conspiracy charges stemming from the June 16 attack, during which Walker was left unconscious on a side street near the Strip.

Thomas was being held without bail pending an appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court.