He wasn't even supposed to be the starting quarterback at the beginning of the 2010 NFL season.

But what Michael Vick has done over the past 15 weeks has been nothing short of extraordinary. So much so that Vick finished fifth in *The Associated Press' *Male Athlete of the Year award vote. Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who led his team of its first Super Bowl title in February, won the award.

Vick, the former No. 1 overall pick, has enjoyed the best year of his nine-year career completing 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,513 yards with 17 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He also has 483 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. And he's accomplished all of this despite missing three games due to injury and not starting the season opener.

Vick is third in the NFL and first in the NFC with a 104.3 passer rating. Against Washington on Nov. 15, he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards, rush for 50, toss four touchdown passes and rush for two touchdowns in the same game. The Eagles set a Monday Night Football record that night with 59 points. Earlier this season, Vick became the first quarterback to earn back-to-back NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors since Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham in 1998.

Displaying the true impact of his return to stardom, no player in the NFL has received more votes from the fans for the Pro Bowl than Vick.

On Sunday, Vick will lead the Eagles into New Giants Stadium where first place in the NFC East will be on the line as the Eagles and the Giants both sport 9-4 records.

"It's going to be a fun football game. This is what it's all about," Vick said on Friday. "All the great ones have to go through it, so we're not going through anything different."

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 10:36 a.m., December 19