Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick left a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, before dawn early Wednesday. Vick slipped undetected past waiting cameras and reporters and headed to Virginia by car to begin two months of home confinement – his house looks a little nicer than Leavenworth. The drive from Leavenworth to his home is roughly 1000 miles.

Vick, 28, pleaded guilty in August 2007 to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia.

Vick was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played six seasons for the Falcons, earning Pro Bowl status three times. He was suspended by the NFL after his guilty plea.

He will return to professional football as soon as September if reinstated by the NFL, according to the sports agent who negotiated Vick’s 10-year, $140 million contract with the Falcons.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007, has said he will review Vick’s status after his criminal case is concluded. He has said Vick will have to persuade him and the public that he is genuinely sorry for his crime, that he has been changed by his experience and that he is committed to leading a different life.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Wednesday that Vick has paid his debt to society and merits a second chance. Blank said the quarterback is taking positive steps by wanting to work with humane societies and making other changes in his life.

Meanwhile, Vick’s attorneys have said he will work at a Newport News construction firm following his release, and he has also agreed to participate in a documentary for $600,000.  The Humane Society of the United States said Tuesday that Vick met its president recently in prison and wants to work on a program aimed at eradicating dogfighting among urban teens.