‘It’s family’: At Norfolk State, a bond forged at Virginia Tech is reflected on the sidelines
In his first season as Norfolk State’s head football coach, Michael Vick and the Spartans’ running backs coach, Vick’s former Virginia Tech teammate Andre Kendrick, are writing the next chapter of a brotherhood that began nearly three decades ago in Blacksburg, Virginia.
What started as a college friendship has turned into a reunion on the Spartans’ sidelines – not only for the former teammates but also for Kendrick and his son, DreSean. After starting his collegiate career at William & Mary, DreSean Kendrick entered the transfer portal and committed to Norfolk State in January, joining the roster as a wide receiver and carrying forward a bond that reflects the power of family.
With a 1-10 overall record (0-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) and only one game left in the regular season, Vick finds himself reflecting on the larger picture of what this period represents. This isn’t just about football; it’s about brotherhood.
“When I’m standing up talking to the boys and I see DreSean, it’s a constant reminder of where life can take you,” Vick said.
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Vick and the elder Kendrick met at Virginia Tech in the late 1990s, when Vick was the starting quarterback for the Hokies and Kendrick was a running back. In fall 1999, the duo led the Hokies to an 11-0 regular season, the program’s first undefeated regular season since 1918, and played in the 2000 Sugar Bowl for the BCS national championship.
They stayed connected after their college careers ended. Kendrick’s mother cooked for Vick, and Vick — then a star quarterback in the NFL – often provided sneakers for DreSean and his older brother, D’Andre.
“Ever since that day we met in 1997 or 1998, it’s just been the same thing,” Andre Kendrick said. “We haven’t missed a beat for almost 30 years now. We’ve always been in each other’s lives. He knows my family, I know his family — it’s family.”
Above: Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick prepares to throw during a game on Nov. 4, 2000, in Miami. Below: Virginia Tech running back Andre Kendrick (right) stiff-arms Florida State’s Abdual Howard at the 2000 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Bob Rosato /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Damian Strohmeyer / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
According to Kendrick, Vick had a couple of opportunities to coach. However, when he kept calling Kendrick to discuss Norfolk State’s head coaching vacancy, Kendrick had a feeling Vick was seriously interested in the position. Those calls turned into a job offer — one that reunited the two friends on the sideline.
“Mike ain’t never called me four days in a row, never in life,” Kendrick said with a laugh. “When he got the job, he said, ‘I want you to be my running back coach, and I want nephew [DreSean] to come with me.”
Coaching college football is a first for Andre Kendrick, like Vick, but mentoring young men has been a part of their lives for years. They have been running Vick’s youth football camp, the V7 Football Experience, since 2011.
To Kendrick, coaching was always about putting young men in a position to be successful and teaching them to learn from mistakes. His drive, combined with Vick’s desire to coach, makes both men believe they are exactly where they are meant to be.
“I didn’t see coaching in my future at all until about maybe seven or eight years ago,” Vick said. “I always thought it would be a long TV career, which I enjoyed every minute of that, but I always wanted to have my own team one day. It feels good to now have my own team that God gave me. I appreciate that, and I’m taking full advantage of it.”
Norfolk State running backs coach Andre Kendrick (left) and head coach Michael Vick (right) watch a practice.
Courtesy of DreSean Kendrick
However, coaching at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) carries meaning beyond the game, Andre Kendrick said.
“I love it,” Kendrick said. “I went to a predominantly white institution (PWI), and it was great, but now I get a chance to be around our folks. I get a chance to learn the culture, to learn about people who went here. I was blown away by what an HBCU means as far as the culture and the tradition.”
Under Kendrick, the Spartans have rushed for 1,585 yards, including 12 touchdowns, this season. The opportunity comes with a familiar pattern for Kendrick – he gets to help coach his own son, DreSean.
Father and son have shared the field since DreSean was 4 years old, as Kendrick coached DreSean in youth leagues. The adjustment to the college level has been seamless for the Kendricks, who see it as a blessing to reach this level together.
Vick, who described DreSean Kendrick as a dynamic player, said as far as he is concerned, when the younger Kendrick touches the ball, “It’s DreSean’s world” – and Vick wants to unlock his full potential.
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DreSean Kendrick ended the 2024 season at William & Mary with 16 receptions for 223 yards and two touchdowns. In his first season with the Spartans, he currently has 52 receptions for 648 yards – including a season-high 125 receiving yards in one game – and five receiving touchdowns.
Being a coach’s son comes with added expectations, the younger Kendrick said, but that has become second nature for him after dealing with it for so long, and he appreciates this time in his career.
“It kind of makes me feel like a kid again,” DreSean Kendrick said. “He was our coach for our travel team back when we were younger. I would always hear him in the stands, but now I come off the field and he’s got the same Norfolk State logo on. It’s kind of crazy. It’s like a full-circle moment.”
Watching Andre Kendrick coach his son is heartwarming, Vick said, but he knows it’s an even more sentimental occasion for his friend.
“How many fathers get to coach their son and coach them hard? I know what this means for him,” Vick said. “I honestly think DreSean would have an opportunity just taking it a step further and [could] play at the next level. As long as he keeps it up, finishes strong, Dre will be a proud dad, promise you.”
Norfolk State head coach Michael Vick (left) embraces wide receiver DreSean Kendrick (right), the son of running backs coach Andre Kendrick.
Courtesy of Dresean Kendrick
The coaches often reminisce about their time at Virginia Tech, but they recognize that today’s college football landscape is different. Name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and the NCAA transfer portal weren’t available when they were in college.
“Back then … the option to leave or to go somewhere for the money wasn’t prevalent,” Kendrick said. “We stuck in there. … You developed relationships, you developed all this other type of stuff that camaraderie and being around builds.”
What began as a college friendship has evolved into a multigenerational story of loyalty and perseverance.
“God positioned me and us to be together in this moment,” Vick said. “We’ll be looking at this 15 years from now and probably feel really good about the time we’ve been able to share together.”
Alauna Marable, a mass communications and journalism honors scholar from Detroit, is a passionate storyteller dedicated to sports journalism. She serves as Norfolk State University’s sports editor at the Spartan Echo, highlighting the journeys of athletes and the impact of sports within the community.
