Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick formally pleaded guilty Monday to involvement in a dogfighting ring in which several animals were killed, as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Vick, who was banned indefinitely by the National Football League last week after admitting to involvement in the dogfighting ring, entered the plea at a district courthouse in Richmond, Virginia.
He was due to be sentenced on December 10, his lawyer, Billy Martin, told reporters outside the court.
The 27-year-old faces up to five years in jail on the charges of organizing dogfighting and conducting an enterprise including gambling and the sponsoring and transporting of dogs in dogfighting operations.
However, according to court documents, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of between one year and 18 months, although the judge who decides the sentence is not bound to follow their recommendation.
Speaking to reporters shortly after entering the guilty plea, Vick apologized to the public, saying he was ashamed of his actions.
"I accept the responsibility for my actions and what I did and now I have to pay the consequences for it," he told reporters. "I'm totally disappointed in myself, to say the least."
"I made a mistake in using bad judgement," he added. "Dogfighting is a terrible thing and I do reject it."
Vick on Friday submitted a plea agreement in which he admitted sharing responsibility for the deaths of six to eight dogs that had not performed up to expectations in fights.
The grisly description of the dogs' deaths by drowning and hanging sparked outrage across the United States.
According to the plea agreement documents filed in US District Court, Vick bankrolled the operation but did not wager on the fights.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote to Vick on Friday to inform him that he would remain suspended without pay until further notice.
"Your admitted conduct was not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible," Goodell wrote. "Your team, the NFL, and NFL fans have all been hurt by your actions."
Vick, whose explosive talents made him one of the most popular players in the league, signed a 10-year, 130-million-dollar contract with the Falcons in 2005, the richest contract in NFL history to that date.
The deal guaranteed Vick at least 37 million dollars, but the Falcons may now seek to recover some of that money.
