Michael Penix Jr. isn’t trying to prove anyone else wrong.
That’s how the Heisman runner-up and former Washington quarterback found himself preparing to run the 40-yard dash wearing white tights, orange cleats, a gold chain, a black durag and no shirt on the field at the Dempsey Indoor Center.
“I just wanted to show that I’m athletic,” he said. “I can do it with my legs if I have to.”
Penix ran, jumped and threw Thursday during Washington’s pro day, where he was one of several draft-eligible former UW football players taking part in the showcase. A massive host of NFL scouts, front-office members and coaches representing essentially every franchise in the league watched as Penix ran an unofficial 40-yard dash somewhere between 4.56-4.59 seconds, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
“I just always want to prove myself right,” Penix said. “And the competitor in me, I’m going to show it. I’m going to showcase it.
“I’m going to write my own narrative.”
Some notable attendees included New York Giants coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen, who spent lots of time chatting with former Washington receiver and projected top-10 pick Rome Odunze; general manager John Schneider and assistant general manager Nolan Teasley, at the head of a large Seahawks delegation; and a host of scouts from 30 of the 32 NFL teams, according to a tweet from senior bowl executive director Jim Nagy.
Additionally, several current members of the Washington football team were present, along with new coach Jedd Fisch. They watched on as Penix backed up his strong outing at the NFL combine with another solid performance.
The Tampa, Fla., native started his pro day with a 36.5-inch vertical jump. Penix said he fell short of his 38-inch goal, but his performance was good enough to rank first among quarterbacks who participated in the drill during the combine.
Former Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt led all quarterbacks by jumping 36 inches in Indianapolis, just ahead of Tennessee’s Joe Milton III (35 inches) and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler (32 inches).
Penix moved on to the 40-yard dash next, running the drill once. He’s the only one out of the projected top-six quarterbacks in the class — Penix, USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Oregon’s Bo Nix — to run the drill.
His unofficial time from pro day put Penix close to BYU’s Kedon Slovis, who ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash to lead all quarterbacks at the combine. For comparison, former Washington linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio ran a 4.56, safety Dominique Hampton registered a 4.51 and wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk came in at 4.52 at the combine. Penix said he wanted to be faster.
“I’m a 4.4 guy, in my opinion,” Penix said. “Some people had 4.46, some people had 4.5. It’s unofficial, so I’m good. I just showed I can run, so I feel good.”
The 6-foot-3, 213-pound signal caller finished the day with some throwing drills. Wide receivers Jalen McMillan, Polk and current UW wideout Giles Jackson, tight ends Devin Culp and Jack Westover and running back Dillon Johnson made up his receiving corps.
Penix started with short passes before moving onto deep shots. He said he felt like he missed only three throws out of the 60 he attempted. Penix, who also threw at the combine, said he wants to throw in front of as many people in-person as possible, adding that game tape doesn’t always do him justice.
With his pro day complete, Penix said he will begin meeting with teams next week in the lead-up to the NFL draft on April 25. He specifically mentioned speaking to the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Giants. The 2023 Maxwell Award winner also added he’s heard “a little bit” from new Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who held the same position at UW during the past two seasons.
“He texted me and told me he won’t make it here ’cause he’s in Hawaii, so I was like, ‘That’s crazy,’” Penix said, jokingly.
Penix wasn’t the only former Husky to take part in pro day. Defensive lineman Bralen Trice ran drills after he was limited by illness during the combine, along with defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa and edge rusher Sekai Asoau-Afoa. Defensive tackle Ulumoo Ale also participated in the 40-yard dash but tweaked his hamstring on his first run and sat out the rest of the event.
Westover, who also missed out on the combine as he recovered from thumb surgery, was a limited participant in pro day, catching passes and doing the shuttle drill with Culp. Ulofoshio, fellow linebacker Ralen Goforth and Hampton also took part, along with offensive tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten.
Others came to support their teammates. Edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui didn’t do any drills but brought his dog Layla, while Odunze also appeared but did not participate. Several players said it was great to be back with their former teammates after everyone scattered to train following the national championship. Penix said his two-year tenure on Montlake felt short, and moments like pro day make him appreciative of the people who helped him resurrect his career.
“Coming here, I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I just expected to find a way to win football games and get back to having fun, and I was able to do that. I’m super blessed about that, and that’s what’s been keeping me going. Just having people that support me through the whole journey, throughout the whole process no matter what.”
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