Tag: Chad Pennington

Dolphins hoping history repeats in frigid Kansas City

Fifteen or so years ago the Dolphins had success in frozen Kansas City

The weather forecast for Saturday in Kansas City calls for temperatures to hover around 0 and that means the wind chill will be way worse.

No weather for a team from Miami but the Dolphins will face the Chiefs in an AFC Wild Card game at Arrowhead.

The coldest game in Dolphins franchise history took place in Kansas City in 2008 and Miami came away with a 38-31 win.

It was the next-to-last week of the regular season and Chad Pennington threw three touchdown passes.

Per AP:

The temperature at the noon kickoff was 10 degrees with a wind chill of minus-12, the coldest conditions the Dolphins have ever played in. No doubt it was even icier when Pennington engineered a 13-play, 85-yard drive capped by his tiebreaking 14-yard TD pass to Anthony Fasano with 4:08 left.

“Right now, [the drive] is a blur,” Pennington said. “It was so cold, my brain is not working real well. I can just remember time after time it was somebody making a play, breaking a tackle, making a catch, making a big block, making play after play to keep the drive going.”

At 10 degrees, it was exactly 30 degrees colder than the coldest home game the Dolphins played, on Dec. 24, 1989 against, of all teams, the Chiefs. … Dolphins lost their previous coldest game, 14-10, at New England. … The coldest game played at Arrowhead kicked off at zero degrees on Dec. 18, 1983.

 

Former NFL QBs Josh McCown’s and Chad Pennington’s sons faced off at same position in Frisco Bowl

How time flies!

Time waits for no one, and we’ve already reached the point in the football timeline where the sons of former NFL quarterbacks Josh McCown and Chad Pennington are playing each other in a college bowl game.

In Tuesday night’s Frisco Bowl, UTSA and Marshall faced off with some very familiar last names attached to their starting quarterbacks.

UTSA is led by quarterback Owen McCown, son of Josh, while Marshall is led by quarterback Cole Pennington, son of Chad.

It’s just hard to fathom that the McCown and Pennington families already have college-age sons who are playing postseason football on ESPN.

We’ll see if either one of these legacy quarterbacks will get to follow in their dad’s footsteps to play in the pros one day.

For now, we’ll have the stark reality that Josh McCown and Chad Pennington have sons facing each other at quarterback in a bowl game. How time flies!

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Like father, like son: Luke Pennington, the son of Chad Pennington, is having a strong junior season

Luke Pennington, the son of a former NFL star quarterback, is off to a strong start this season.

Luke Pennington, the son of former NFL star quarterback Chad Pennington, has thrown 134 passes this season. He doesn’t have an interception yet.

Through eight games this season, Pennington, a member of the class of 2025, has led Sayre (Lexington, Kentucky) to an 8-0 start. He has completed 90-of-134 passes for 1,378 yards. He has 31 touchdowns.

And yes, simply to underscore it again, no interceptions.

Pennington, at 5-foot-11, has shown a strong arm this season and the ability to read defenses. He places his throws well and throws his wide receivers open.

Pennington is taking a visit on Saturday to Eastern Kentucky.

 

He also, for what it is worth, can pass on the basketball court as well:

 

There are some good bloodlines here, with his father having played 11 seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins. During his career, he twice led the NFL in completion percentage.

Former Dolphin Chad Pennington serving as judge for helmet challenge

Former Dolphin Chad Pennington serving as judge for helmet challenge

One of the big pushes across the NFL in recent years has been to improve player safety. After all, there is no NFL without the players who put their bodies on the line on a weekly basis — so continuing to push the limits of safety and protection for players is the only path to choose. We’ve seen rule changes, diminished impact on special teams and new equipment put into play all in the name of improved player safety and now, as has been announced by the NFL, the league will be holding an NFL Helmet Challenge.

According to a release from the NFL on the subject, the NFL Helmet Challenge, which accepted submissions earlier this week is a “multi-year innovation challenge aimed at stimulating the development of a new helmet that outperforms any model currently available to NFL players. An expert panel of judges has been assembled and is ready to award the $1 million prize that is up for grabs.”

Dolphins fans will recognize one of the 11 judges dedicated to finding a winner: former Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington. Pennington, of course, is best remembered in South Florida for his part in authoring the team’s ‘worst to first’ transition in 2008 — winning 11 games just one year after winning one and dethroning the New England Patriots from the division title.

“As our game continues to lead all sports in the development of better equipment to protect players, I’m excited to serve as a judge alongside @OrlandoPace_HOF for the @NFL Helmet Challenge. We’ll be picking the high-tech helmet worthy of $1 million,” wrote Pennington.

Here are the other 10 judges committed to joining Pennington in the NFL Helmet Challenge:

  • Cynthia Bir, PhD, Chair and Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University
  • Geoffrey T. Manley, MD, PhD, Chief of Neurosurgery at San Francisco General Hospital and Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF)
  • Steve Moore, Vice President of Operations at Hydro Massage
  • Barry Myers, MD, PhD, MBA, Director of Innovation, Duke CTSI; Coulter Program Director and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University and a consultant to the NFLPA
  • Orlando Pace, NFL Legend and tackle who played in the league for 13 seasons, Hall of Famer
  • Thom Parks, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Bell Sports, Inc.
  • Frank A. Pintar, PhD, Professor and Founding Chair, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University
  • Chris Valenti, Denver Broncos Head Equipment Manager
  • Beth A. Winkelstein, PhD, Interim Provost, University of Pennsylvania
  • Christopher Withnall, Senior Engineer, Biokinetics and Associates Ltd.

Son of former Jets QB Chad Pennington commits to Marshall

Cole Pennington elected to follow in his father’s footsteps this week, committing to former Jets QB Chad Pennington’s alma mater.

The son of former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington has elected to follow in his father’s footsteps at Marshall University.

Three-star Lexington (K.Y.) Sayre School signal-caller Cole Pennington brought an end to his recruitment earlier this week, committing to Marshall over offers from Akron, Ball State, Eastern Kentucky and UT Martin.

The younger Pennington, who tossed 27 touchdown passes as a junior, is Marshall’s third quarterback commit of the 2022 recruiting cycle. He is the 67th-ranked quarterback recruit in his signing class and the 14th overall prospect in Kentucky, according to 247Sports.

The Jets picked Chad Pennington in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft following a prolific career at Marshall. He led the Thundering Herd to a perfect 13-0 season in 1999 and departed the program as its all-time leading passer.

His father’s status as a school legend drew Cole to Marshall, but what really put the Thundering Herd over the top for him was the way head coach Charles Huff went about recruiting him. From the moment he arrived on campus after a stint as running backs coach under Nick Saban at Alabama, Huff made it clear he wanted Cole for the quarterback he is and not the player his father was over two decades ago.

“One of the things that I wanted to make sure of was that a school was not recruiting me not because of who my Dad was and what he did,” Cole said in an interview with Grant Taylor of the Herald-Dispatch. “Were they recruiting me because of the type of person that I am, the type of player I am? Marshall was super clear that they were recruiting me for me, not Chad Pennington’s son, which I loved.”

Shortly after his son announced his commitment, Chad took to Twitter to offer his congratulations. His former Jets teammate, tight end Anthony Becht, also congratulated Cole.

Marshall kicks off its 2021 season on the road against Navy on Sept. 4. The Thundering Herd’s season opener will mark Huff’s first game as a head coach, as he replaces Doc Holliday after 11 years.

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Ex-Jets GM says Joe Douglas should target offensive line with 23rd pick

Mike Tannenbaum thinks the Jets should draft an offensive lineman with the 23rd overall pick.

The question over what the Jets should do with their second first-round pick is a big one.

After grabbing a quarterback second overall, the Jets could go in a myriad of directions with the 23rd overall pick. That includes beefing up the pass rush, fortifying the offensive line, snagging another offensive weapon or strengthing the secondary.

All options should be on the table for Joe Douglas, but former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum thinks New York needs to grab another lineman to block for their new quarterback.

Tannenbaum is already a fan of Zach Wilson – the Jets’ presumptive pick at No. 2 – and he would know the importance of drafting offensive linemen early. His first two picks as Jets general manager in 2006 were offensive linemen. He picked tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson fourth overall and used his second first-round pick on center Nick Mangold with the 29th overall selection. The Jets went 10-6 that year under new coach Eric Mangini and Chad Pennington won Comeback Player of the Year thanks to a better offensive line.

Ferguson and Mangold became two of the Jets’ best offensive linemen of all-time and combined for 10 Pro Bowls from 2006-2015. Ferguson retired in 2015, while Mangold retired in 2016.

The Jets had not drafted an offensive lineman in the first round for 14 years until last year, when Douglas took Mekhi Becton with the 11th overall pick. That decision worked out well for the Jets and now Douglas has the opportunity to add another young player to his offensive line if he goes that route with the 23rd pick. There are a lot of good prospects in this draft, so even if Douglas chooses not to pick a lineman with his second first-rounder, he’ll have plenty of chances to find a starter later on.

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Mike Tannenbaum confirms Jets scout lobbied for Tom Brady during 2000 draft

If only the Jets had listened. To who exactly? Oh, just the scout who wanted to draft Tom Brady. It has long been rumored that such lobbying took place in New York’s war room during the 2000 draft, but Mike Tannenbaum, Gang Green’s general manager …

If only the Jets had listened.

To who exactly? Oh, just the scout who wanted to draft Tom Brady.

It has long been rumored that such lobbying took place in New York’s war room during the 2000 draft, but Mike Tannenbaum, Gang Green’s general manager from 2006-2012 and a longtime front office employee before that, recently confirmed the anecdote to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The way he told it, scout Jesse Kaye “loved” Brady and believed he had been “treated unfairly” while at Michigan. Kaye saw the opportunity to steal a special talent late in the draft and made his opinion known.

The Jets, of course, went in a different direction, one that led to years of being tortured by Brady.

 

The Jets had already used one of their four first-round picks on a quarterback, Marshall product Chad Pennington. The plan was for Pennington to spend his rookie year learning behind veteran Vinny Testaverde, so it didn’t make much sense for the Jets to spend another pick on the position later in the draft.

If only the Jets had had the foresight to wait for Brady.

Instead, the Patriots took him with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round. Brady became New England’s starter in 2001 and the rest is history. The Patriots won six Super Bowls behind the future Hall of Fame quarterback, who also won three MVP awards during his 20 years with the team.

The Jets, meanwhile, have made the playoffs just six times since the 2000 draft. Brady owns a 29-7 career record against them. Pennington was a serviceable arm and one of the league’s most accurate passer during his eight years with the Jets, but he was never able to put them over the top and often struggled to stay healthy.

Now, at long last, Brady’s reign of terror in the AFC East is over. With the 42-year-old beginning a new chapter in Tampa Bay, the division is as ripe for the picking as it’s ever been over the last two decades. With an all-time nemesis no longer a threat, perhaps the Jets can finally make some noise 20 years after passing on their scout’s advice.

2020 Hindsight: A look back at the Jets’ 2000 NFL Draft 2 decades later

Jets Wire takes a stroll down memory lane to revisit New York’s 2000 NFL draft class 20 years later.

The 2000 NFL draft could very well be one of the best in Jets franchise history.

Loaded with four first-round picks, two of which he acquired by trading star wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson to the Buccaneers, general manager Bill Parcells approached the draft with more than enough capital to improve upon an 8-8 record and fourth-place finish in the AFC East in 1999.

With players like running back Curtis Martin, wide receivers Wayne Chrebet and Dedric Ward, linebackers Marvin Jones and Mo Lewis and safety Victor Green already in the mix, the Jets were littered with talent entering 2000. All Parcells had to do was sure up a few positions of need and inject some youth into New York’s roster.

Well aware that the Jets needed to address their defensive line and pass rush, Parcells selected University of Tennessee defensive end Shaun Ellis at No. 12 and used the 13th pick acquired from Tampa Bay on South Carolina outside linebacker John Abraham. Parcells spent New York’s other two first-round picks on offense, landing quarterback of the future Chad Pennington at No. 18 and tight end Anthony Bect at No. 27, the other pick the Buccaneers sent to the Jets in exchange for Johnson.

Parcells’ work did not end in the first round, though. He selected wide receiver Laveranues Coles in the third round to give the Jets an immediate weapon at wide receiver and one Pennington could work with once he took over the starting job.

As is the case with any NFL draft class, it takes a while to determine whether the group is successful or not. Some players take time to develop, while others make an instant impact. Ellis, Abraham, Coles and Becht all assumed important roles in 2000. Ellis registered 8.5 sacks, while Abraham chipped in 4.5. Coles caught 22 passes for 370 yards and a touchdown working as New York’s No. 3 receiver, while Becht became the starting tight end and caught 16 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in his rookie year.

Pennington spent his first year with the Jets sitting behind starting quarterback Vinny Testaverde. He only appeared in one game, going 2-5 for 40 yards and a touchdown. Although he spent most of 2000 on the bench, the lessons Pennington learned watching and working with Testaverde proved key to his success once he ascended to the starting role.

The Jets did not make the playoffs in 2000, going 9-7 and finishing third in the AFC East in Al Groh’s lone season as head coach. However, New York’s 2000 draft class laid the foundation for the future. Ellis and Abraham developed into a dominant pass-rushing duo, one the Jets have not had since. Coles finished his career with nearly 700 receptions and had two stints with the Jets. Becht proved to be a reliable tight end option until he departed in 2004. While Pennington didn’t turn out to be as good as the 199th pick, Tom Brady, he eventually turned into a very good starting quarterback and one of the most accurate passers of all-time. Late-round picks Windrell Hayes, Tony Scott and Richard Seals did not pan out with the Jets, but hitting on five out of eight picks in any draft class is a job well done.

Twenty years later, first-year Jets general manager Joe Douglas has his own chance to lay the foundation for the future. He might not have as much draft capital as Parcells did, but he has enough to fill positions of need and give New York a much-needed influx of talent.

If all goes well, the Jets could be back on their way to the postseason sooner rather than later.

Former Jets QB Chad Pennington praises Sam Darnold’s ‘considerable improvement’ in second season

Chad Pennington praised Sam Darnold’s progress in his second season as Gang Green’s starting quarterback in an interview with Eric Allen.

Chad Pennington knows a thing or two about getting the job done for the Jets under center.

Before injuries brought an end to his time in the Big Apple, Pennington led the Jets to three playoff appearances and retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in completion percentage. Now a high school football coach in Kentucky, Pennington has had ample time to watch Sam Darnold play on Sundays and evaluate his game from year one to year two.

“Although we would say it’s been up and down, I would say there’s been considerable improvement,” Pennington told Jets reporter Eric Allen. “Earlier in the year, you’d probably see four to five decisions that you would question. Now, you’re only seeing one to two decisions that we’re questioning.”

Pennington found himself in a similar position to Darnold at the beginning of the century. As a first-round pick out of Marshall in 2000, Pennington entered the league at a young age and had to learn on the fly in a major media market filled with intense scrutiny on a daily basis.

As Pennington navigated the waters and learned how to play in New York, he progressed and turned into a passer the Jets could rely on. He believes Darnold is following a similar path with his second professional season nearly in the books.

“Remember, he’s 22 years old,” Pennington said. “It’s only his second season being an NFL quarterback. I think as fans, we should be happy with his progress.”

Pennington has also been impressed with Darnold’s ability to face adversity head-on. The USC product has been hit with a lot in his sophomore season, as mononucleosis kept him sidelined for a month. That, combined with poor offensive line play, has put Darnold behind the eight ball at times in his first season running Adam Gase’s offense.

“I think what we’re seeing is the maturation of a young quarterback,” Pennington said. “We’re able to see that right in front of our eyes. When I was playing back in the day, you didn’t see these things happen because most of the time quarterbacks were kept on the shelf for a couple of years. Those mistakes were made behind closed doors. Unfortunately for Sam, we’re able to see his mistakes made in front of us. At the same time, we’re able to see his progress.”

Darnold has come on nicely at the end of 2019, leading the Jets to a 5-2 record over their last seven games. Where he goes in his progression in 2020 and beyond remains to be seen, but either way, it looks like he has a fan in Pennington in his corner for the long run.