In the rehabilitation of Michael Vick, the star NFL quarterback took a greater step this week in Washington than he did at any point at FedEx Field last November, when he scored six touchdowns in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 59-28 beating of the Washington Redskins on “Monday Night Football.”

“I’ve had some great games in my day,” Vick told reporters after the game. “But I don’t think I’ve had one quite like this one.”

He never had a day quite like he did Tuesday.

Vick was on Capitol Hill to speak in favor of the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011, which would increase penalties for people who finance animal fighting, among other components of the act.

It was a remarkable contrast to a little more than a year ago, when the rehabilitation of Vick was on the verge of failing.

Last summer Vick was under fire for being part of a Virginia Beach birthday celebration that resulted in the shooting of one of his former cohorts in Vick’s dogfighting operation.

According to reports, at around 2 a.m. on June 25 near the Guadalajara club in Virginia Beach, Vick was attending a 30th birthday party thrown in his honor.

There were reports of arguments and the shooting of Quanis Phillips, who was part of the dogfighting operation that had resulted in Vick spending 18 months in federal prison back in 2007.

Vick was cleared by police of any role in the incident, but there were news reports that the Eagles were considering releasing Vick. After meeting with team officials and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Vick managed to get yet another chance.

The birthday controversy may have had more of an impact on Vick than his time in prison. Here’s what he told Sports Illustrated about a conversation he had with his mother after the birthday story threatened to end his comeback:

“She’s like, ‘You went to prison for 19 months, and you come out and you still ain’t listening.’

“Right then and there I told myself, I am changing my life. I’m going to do everything they ask me to do. I’m getting myself away from this madness.”

Vick established himself again on the field last year with an MVP-like season for the Eagles, throwing 21 touchdown passes and rushing for nine more in 12 games. But unless age had taken its toll while Vick was away from the game, we all knew what he was capable of on the field.

The biggest questions were off the field, and on Tuesday here in Washington, Vick gave his best answer yet to that question, appearing on Capitol Hill to be the spokesman for stronger dogfighting laws.

“I deeply regret my previous involvement in dogfighting. I’m sorry for what I did to the animals,” Vick said at a news conference. “During my time in prison, I told myself I wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem.”

That is a day like Michael Vick never had before.

Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at tloverro@washingtonexaminer.com.