Twelve months ago, Michael Vick was nothing more than a cautionary tale.

The Virginia Tech alumni enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame, ever since the Atlanta Falcons made him the No.1 selection in the 2001 NFL Draft. He was soon entrenched as one of the NFL's brightest stars, and considered among the most gifted physical specimens to ever to grace the National Football League.

Then came the dog-fighting scandal in 2007, which saw Vick sentenced to 23 months in jail. The 2006 season had been one of one of Vick's very best; after the scandal broke, it seemed likely to be his last.

Michael Vick became public enemy number one for his involvement in the Bad Newz Kennels, and was even described as one of the heavyweights in dogfighting. Dog-Fighting is a barbaric ‘sport' and form of gambling, that forces dogs to fight one another, often to the death. Vick was convicted of running several dog-fighting syndicates from the basements of his houses. When police raided a property owned by Vick they reportedly found 66 dogs, a dog-fighting pit, bloodstained carpets and equipment commonly associated with dogfighting.

It seemed like there was no way back for the 31-year old.

That's what makes Vick's signing of a new contract today with the Philadelphia Eagles even more monumental.

He returned to the league, and a trial run with the Eagles, after his release from Leavenworth penitentiary last year and proceeded to produce one of the greatest individual seasons in history. He led his new side to the NFC East divisional title, en route to a playoff berth, only to be eliminated by the eventual champion Green Bay Packers.

Today, Vick was rewarded with a six-year, US $100 million contract, with $40 million guaranteed.

But his contract signifies so much more than just dollars and cents.

By signing the new contract with Philadelphia, Vick has officially become the face of the franchise.

And the Eagles aren't the only business willing to utilize Vick to promote their brand.

Nike resigned Vick to endorse the iconic ‘swoosh' in July, and earlier in the year, Vick was the runner up in an EA Sports competition to be the cover-star of their annual Madden NFL videogame.

There are undoubtedly countless people who despise Mike Vick because of his past actions. Some of those may never forgive him, and in reality, it's hard to blame them.

That's fine.

But that attitude shouldn't blind fans to the magnitude of Vick's transformation.

The dog-fighting scandal was far from Vick's first transgression. In 2004, two men were arrested for selling and distributing marijuana in Virginia. The truck the two men were driving was registered to Vick. In 2005, a woman sued Vick, claiming that he had given her genital herpes. Then in 2006, he was fined $10,000 for showing his displeasure towards fans in New Orleans, giving them an obscene gesture as he ran from the field.

He entered prison a questionable character who had hit rock bottom. The Virginia-native was bankrupt, unemployed and hated by most of the community.

Yet, by all accounts, he has done above-and-beyond what is expected of him ever since his release from prison. He works with several charities in the US, and gives speeches at schools across the country on the importance of staying in school and getting an education.

He's striving to have a better life, inside and outside of the NFL. This is something that should be embraced and used as an example of someone changing for the better.

Vick's actions will never be forgotten; he's even spoken of how they've haunted him.

He suffered the ugliest fall from grace, and now has completed arguably the greatest comeback ever seen.

If Vick can add a Superbowl to his resume in 2012, his journey to redemption will be truly complete.