For the dynamic Michael Vick, his toughness and determination are a point of pride, but he knows he needs to take measures on the football field to protect his body. A Michael Vick who is standing on the sideline in street clothes won't help his team win games.

After missing the past three games with a rib injury, Vick made it very clear on Wednesday that he is taking his health more seriously, moving forward.

"I'm sliding from here on out," Vick declared. "There are going to be times when I can't get that extra yard and I just need to get down. When I take hard hits all the time, I end up on the sideline, watching, and not being accountable to my teammates.

"It's not worth taking a big hit just for an extra yard, unless it's to get a first down or a touchdown."

In the past, the 10-year veteran has noted that he has had trouble perfecting his quarterback sliding form over his career, usually preferring to stay upright and take a hit or to go with the more dangerous head-first slide, instead.

"I need to start practicing my sliding," said Vick. "It's something I haven't mastered, yet. I'll do whatever I have to do, sliding head-first, feet-first, getting out of bounds, whatever. I'll do the best I can.

"I can't control when the pressure's going to come in the pocket, so the key is to get the ball out as fast as I can and try to avoid big hits."

Vick is one of the most tenacious players in the NFL. He consistently plays through injuries, hangs in the pocket to deliver passes and even throws blocks down field in the run game. But Vick's coaches, his teammates, and the fans would prefer to have him scale it back a bit if it meant having him be healthy all season.

"My teammates tell me every week that I need to stop taking these hits," said the Pro Bowl quarterback. "When so many people are telling you something, it must have some merit."

Knowing how important he is to the team, now Vick, himself, has come to agree.

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