Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, center, leaves federal court in Richmond, Va., with attorney Lawrence Woodward, left, after pleading guilty to a federal dogfighting charge Monday.

Richmond, Va. ? Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick formally pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting charge Monday and minutes later solemnly apologized to the NFL, his team and the youth of America.

His eyes moist and his voice barely audible, the suspended former Pro Bowler spoke without notes – “from the heart,” he said – as animal-rights activists and Vick supporters gathered outside a hotel near the federal courthouse.

“I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts,” he said. “If I’m more disappointed with myself than anything, it’s because of all the young people, young kids that I’ve let down, who look at Michael Vick as a role model.”

“Dogfighting,” he added, “is a terrible thing.”

He will be sentenced Dec. 10, and the judge in the case warned Vick that he is not bound by the 12- to 18-month prison sentence recommended by prosecutors and his attorneys.

After the hearing, Vick hugged his fiancee in the front row and wiped away a tear before heading to the hotel. He asked forgiveness from his teammates and the public. “I offer my deepest apologies to everyone,” he said. “And I will redeem myself. I have to.”