Speaking to the press for the first time since he was detained January 18th for possession of a bottle with suspicious contents, Vick said that the bottle was a hiding place for earrings and jewelry.

Vick told reporters gathered for the Atlanta Falcons' annoucement about the trade of Matt Schaub, Vick's backup, that he had the bottle for years but had never checked it through an airport.

Vick said he is focused on family and football. He is excited about the options ahead under new head coach Bobby Petrino. Their first meeting came soon after the incident in Miami.

He said Petrino brushed off the incident, and he found that ``uplifting.''

Vick said he did not speak out at the time because he felt that everyone had rushed to judgment. Police said the bottle's secret compartment appeared to have the odor and residue of marijuana.

Vick said there was a little water at the top. He said he told the police and anyone else who would listen that it was his stash box for jewelry, but that was not reported.

The trade of Schaub signals to Vick that the starting quarterback's job is his, but General Manager Rich McKay said that was not the reason the trade was made.

McKay said the Falcons did not shop Schaub, but evaluated the offers of ``three or four, maybe five'' teams.