Michael Vick has been quite busy since his playing days in the National Football League ended. Those competitive days may be over, but he still has a burning passion for competing, and he has found another game to play in the meantime.

Michael Vick explained in a recent Fox News interview that he still has one habit that has stayed in his life from the 21-month prison sentence that he served nearly two decades ago.

Michael Vick on football field

Vick explained that he fell in love with Chess during his time in prison and has been playing it ever since.

“I was always intrigued about it, all the pieces on the board and a lot to learn,” Vick said. “A friend of mine and I, we spent like three months learning how to play it. We took a three-month course on how to play it. After that, he was telling me I was ready to go. That’s kind of how I fell in love with it.”

“I wish I could play more,” the four-time Pro Bowler admitted. “Being able to get on the Chess.com app got me back into it. Whenever I’m traveling or moving around, I’m trying to play it and find a way to challenge myself. I love Chess, man. I really do.”

Chess.com has a BlitzChamps tournament in which Vick and several other current and former NFL players competed, and they had a $100,000 charity donation at stake.

The other athletes in the tournament include:

 

Former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald
Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie
Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Justin Reid
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper

Vick is involved with the Humane Society of the United States as well as his own charitable organization, the Achieving Vicktory Foundation.

Michael Vick Was Arrested And Sentenced To Prison For Dogfighting During Prime of His Career

Michael Vick (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Michael Vick was arrested for dog fighting in 2007 when he was the franchise player for the Atlanta Falcons.

He would serve nearly two years in prison for his crimes and was indefinitely suspended by the league.

He returned to the league in 2009 as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. During his second season with the team, in 2010, he won Comeback Player of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl.