To all Wildcat athletes:

You’re all collegiate student-athletes aspiring to be successful in the classroom and on your respective courts and fields. Most of you have a strong ambition to make it to the next level and emulate your favorite Mikes, whether it’s Jordan, Piazza or Tyson.

But whatever you do, don’t be like Vick.

By now you have heard about the recent allegations against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick regarding animal cruelty. You’ve heard how every sports figure and anyone associated with sports has called him a bad man. Maybe you’ve heard about Green Bay safety LeRoy Butler’s 7-year-old daughter Danielle, who learned of how badly dogs were treated in Vick’s own backyard and broke down in tears as she and Daddy were on their way to buy a new puppy.

You know that little Danielle is not alone.

Vick was a college athlete once, just like you. Coming from a home life in a public housing project, he soared in high school, earning a scholarship to Virginia Tech. After three years, he went to the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick, filling his pockets quickly.

But even as one of the most hyped players in the league, he was hungry for more money. Hungry for blood – the blood of dogs.

Of course he is innocent until proven guilty, but you know very well that the evidence points directly at him. He’ll probably

be acquitted, and 10 years from now, you’ll be asking, “”Did O.J. really do it? Did Vick really do it?””

Yes. Yes.

So when you make it to the next stage in your athletic career, remember that staying clean and just playing the game the way it ought to be played will save you a lifetime full of shame, doubt and rumors. Better yet, start now with a fresh image.

I’m not lecturing you, Wildcats. I’m not your mother. What I am doing is directing you. I’m directing you away from the world of animal cruelty.

You don’t want to be the next Ron Artest, who left his dog outside without water. Nor do you want to be the next Shelly Schultz, a former UA softball second baseman who did the same thing to her two dogs, Pal and Bruce, in 2005. A report from the Pima County Health Department stated the dogs were abandoned and so dehydrated and malnourished that they had to be put down once found.

Speaking of college and dogs, Vick’s younger brother, Marcus, was once part of the Virginia Tech football squad, too. Legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play got him kicked off of the team, and ultimately out of the university altogether.

If you’re going to be a superstar athlete, act like one, whether it is in college or in the pros. Respect the game, animals and yourself.

Just be a human being.