Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has attracted quite the national crowd with the level of play that he has put on display in his first three starts.
But two people who never doubted him at any point were his former coaches, Kalen DeBoer and Nick Sheridan.
DeBoer and Sheridan, who both coached Penix at Indiana and Washington, attended Sunday’s 44-38 overtime loss to with their families and friends on Sunday.
Penix expressed his gratitude for the way that both played a role in his development, showing a lot of emotion in the postgame press conference.
DeBoer was with Penix for the 2019 season as his offensive coordinator and saw him at the highest of highs when he and the Huskies made it to a national title game in 2023.
While DeBoer clearly had a major impact on Penix, Sheridan may have played an even larger role in the young quarterback’s development.
Sheridan, who currently serves as Alabama’s offensive coordinator, coached Penix when the quarterback was flying under the radar due to the injury issues he dealt with.
“(Nick) Sheridan is the first person I was with before at Indiana. He’s the one who recruited me since I was like a sophomore in high school,” Penix said. And then he ended up with me at Washington as well.”
With Alabama now in the offseason, they had a bit of a “family reunion” of sorts Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“So, both of those guys being able to here and bringing their family, their spouses, it was amazing to be able to see them and know that they cared enough to make time out of their day to come see me play,” Penix said.
And, of course, they will always hold a special place for him.
“I am grateful for them because I feel like they changed my life. they helped me get where I am today,” Penix said. “I love and appreciate them for it and I was super excited to be able to see them on the sideline pregame.”
Penix and the Falcons did not get the outcome they wanted, falling 44-38 to the Panthers, but there’s no question the team has a lot to build upon with Penix at the helm.
He finished the game 21-for-38 passing for 312 yards with three touchdowns (one rushing TD) and one interception that he was not entirely responsible for.