Penix and Odunze among big hits at NFL combine on Friday

Washington’s star quarterback and wide receiver were very popular at Friday’s media portion of the NFL combine.

The NFL combine is known for its odd, off-the-wall questions from both front-office representatives and the media. Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze was the latest to be on the receiving end of some of those unique inquiries on Friday in Indianapolis.

First, the All-American receiver was asked to weigh in on the satirical internet conspiracy theory, “Birds aren’t real.” Odunze took the question in stride and was able to get a rousing laugh from the media scrum around him with his answer.

“Pigeons are fake,” Odunze joked after stating that all other birds are in fact, real. But that wasn’t the only off-the-wall question thrown at the product of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, who was also asked if he would be able to land an airplane in case of emergency.

“Absolutely not,” he replied. “We’re going down. All souls have perished.”

Odunze was an excellent interview throughout his entire career at Washington and didn’t just impress the national media, but he and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. both reportedly stood out for NFL teams who spoke to them.

Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager said that both Odunze and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. have stood out with NFL teams, especially due to their competitive spirit. Unlike Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU’s Malik Nabers, who both opted out of combine testing, Odunze stated he wants to show he’s the draft’s top receiver by participating in all on-field testing events on Saturday.

Not only did Penix impress in the interview room, but he wasn’t asked to do additional medical testing, which could be a good sign for the potential first-round pick who has suffered four season-ending injuries during his college career.

The runner-up for the Heisman Trophy earned lots of praise following his interviews too, with one team comparing him to Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.

“Penix is a far better athlete than he’s given credit for,” an anonymous personnel director told Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. “He’s more of a pocket guy than Steve was, but I keep watching that Texas tape. Ball comes out so quick. He’s fast. He’ll run well [at the combine].”