Falcons wide receiver Joe Horn said there should be no rush to judgment toward quarterback Michael Vick, who has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly operating an interstate dogfighting ring. Horn also said Vick should be allowed to remain with the team and that the Falcons could withstand any controversy that could accompany Vick's presence. Horn spoke with AJC staff writer Steve Wyche.

Q: As Michael Vick's teammate, how do you feel about this situation?

A: No one, I don't care if you're wealthy or poor, no one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life. Everyone who's breathing is going to have to deal with issues in their life. Unfortunately, Mike is up at bat right now.

What upsets me is if you don't know Michael Vick or haven't talked to him about how he feels, you shouldn't talk about the man until he's proven guilty or exonerated. Let the system take care of itself and take its course.

Q: Have you spoken to him?

A: I've spoken to him several times. Mike is saddened about the tension this is going to cause the team. I assured him I support him, the rest of the guys support him and the team supports him. Whether he's guilty or innocent or whether you believe he is, time will tell.

Q: The NFL commissioner has the authority to suspend Mike or the team can give him a leave of absence to focus on his legal issues. What about the possibility of not having Mike around?

A: I trust Coach [Bobby] Petrino's system, No. 1. I love Michael Vick as a person. Off the football field Mike will call me, we'll go golfing, we'll sit down and eat and talk about life. That's what I love about the man. Not having him around, that will hurt.

I think he should be around. The more he's around his family, his football family, his teammates playing football; it's what might help Michael Vick. I respect our commissioner but I don't think suspending him is going to help him. Michael wants to play football. He told me that over and over again. "I know what's going on but I need to be there playing and going through training camp to try and get through this." I told him over and over that good times will come again. Right now you're going through something and it's something you're going to have to go through.

Q: How do you think the team will deal with this?

A: It's a situation we have to go through. We have to bunker down and play football regardless.

Q: Suppose you come out to training camp Thursday and there are protesters and supporters of Mike creating a circus atmosphere. How to you deal with that?

A: We get paid millions of dollars to play in front of 70,000, 80,000 people. If you can go on a football field on Sunday and focus for four quarters and play with 75,000 people yelling in your ear, you can practice with people standing around a fence, yelling in our ears. I don't think there is an excuse for us not to get together, join hands and get closer. There are no excuses. We get paid. We're all grown men. This is our job.

It may be a circus. So what? We focus on the five or six hours we're there, focus on our job and go home. I look forward to that.

Q: Nobody knew if this indictment was going to happen but it did.

A: We're all role models in this league, whether we like it or not. If Mike was involved or had anything to do with that, I can't say I'm upset with the feds going to his house and him being indicted. Just because you're indicted doesn't mean that you're guilty.

Because Michael Vick is a high-profile athlete and the money he makes, all of us make, anything we do that might have a negative connotation behind it, we're going to get bombarded. We sign on for that, we respect that and we have to deal with that. It's sad how the person who works the 9 to 5, they can do something or be around something negative and the media and the feds don't bother them as much. They don't get scrutinized as much as pro athletes. Most people have already convicted the man.

I'm not saying that dogfighting is good. I feel like all animals should be created equal. I'm not trying to make an excuse for dogfighting but it's OK for lawyers, doctors, average person to get a gun to slaughter a bear, kill a dear, go hunting. It's legal. I think that's wrong. They say you should be thrown in jail for dogfighting. I think you should be thrown in jail if you fight chickens. You should get thrown in jail and take out your 30-odd-six and shoot Bambi in the head.

Q: How do you hope this plays out?

A: More than anything, I hope Mike is able to participate. We need him but more than anything, he needs us.