Michael Penix Jr looked calm and composed as he talked about his draft night on the NFL Network. Even when asked about the quarterback situation in Atlanta, he answered with grace. Although, he did not disclose what Kirk Cousins said, he did reveal that the former Vikings quarterback reached out after Falcons drafted Penix 8th overall, in a surprising pick.
But, the former Washington Huskies QB tells NFL Network staff he was not “too surprised” when the call came. He narrates,“I’m not gonna say I was too surprised. But definitely when I got the phone call, I had chills to my body man. I was just super excited. I felt like I had a great workout with them. Felt like we had a great connection.”
So even though the world stood shocked as Falcons made their pick, the young quarterback was not taken aback, and saw it coming due to the connection made in the short time spent together. Penix Jr did not visit them separately but ended up working out with the Falcons during their visit to the University of Washington. Even though it was a cold weather and something the quarterback was not accustomed to, he formed a real connection with the staff from Atlanta.
On the issue of the dynamic in the quarterback room, he says,“He reached out you know. I’m super excited to be able to work with him, super excited to be able to support him in everything that he’s gonna do. For me, I just wanna come in and make an impact. I’m all about the team, so I’m going to do whatever I can to help this team win football games.”
Even though there are a lot of criticism around his pick, Penix showcases a brave front. A sign for a bright future for the talented athlete who was able to change the fortune of the program he joined. But with so much outside noise, it is impeccable that he is able to keep his composure. And even take steps to put his side of the story out there as best as he can.
Michael Penix Jr Talks About Heartfelt Letter to NFL GMs
Terry Fontenot was amongst the 32 GMs who received a letter from the former Washington Huskies QB. The letter was aimed to narrate his side of the story to the GMs, as a lot of media stories talked about his injury history. And mostly covered the cons of his game rather than the highlight reel worthy plays that helped his team appear in the National Championship.
Talking about the decision to draft that letter, Penix Jr says,“You hear all the things I’ve been through. You see it on social media. You see it in the papers. But nobody really has heard in my words, how I felt about the whole situation. And what I was feeling going through it.”
His aim through the letter was to showcase the man he was, not just the quarterback. And as he himself worded in the interview, he saw that the Falcons staff saw him and liked him for the person he was and not just the exceptionally talented athlete.
