While Washington Huskies star Michael Penix Jr. has become one of the top players in college football in 2023, it wasn’t that long ago that he seriously considered walking away from the sport.
The Washington football team is just hours away from starting step one of completing a magical 2023 season. After 13 regular season games the PAC-12 champions are unbeaten and set to battle No. 3 ranked Texas in the semifinals of the college football playoffs.
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A major reason why the No. 2 ranked Huskies are in this position is because of the outstanding play of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 2023 Maxwell Award winner was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy this year as he posted 36 total touchdowns and led Washington to a second straight double-digit win season. His impressive play over the last two years will also land him a spot in the NFL next season after he is expected to be taken in the 2024 draft.
However, his journey to Washington featured some big highs and heartwrenching lows. The Florida native originally made Indiana University his collegiate home and quickly became a star for the Hoosiers. He helped to guide them to a No. 12 ranking and their best record in over 50 years despite an ACL cutting his season short during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Michael Penix Jr. was scared to play football after second ACL tear in 2021
It was the second time he had torn an ACL after having the same injury in 2018, then he incurred a shoulder injury that limited him to just seven games in 2019. When he suffered another major injury in his third collegiate season, Michael Penix Jr. revealed in a chat this week with The Athletic the major mental hurdles he endured to get back on the field.
“It was hard. I was scared,” Penix Jr. said in an emotional response. “It’s hard. I was scared to play, but I still tried to. It was just a lot. In my head, I said if I’d gotten hurt again, I was gonna quit football.”
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However, the 23-year-old pushed through the fears due to the support of his family and the motivation to better the lives of the people who depend on him and his future success.
“I didn’t want to give it up, but obviously going through what I was going through, it was hard,” he said. “But I couldn’t give up because I have so many people depending on me and looking up to me. So, if I can play, I was gonna play. Unless the doctor said I couldn’t. The bowl game last year [an Alamo Bowl win against Texas] made me emotional. Being able to do what we did last year was special.”
Michael Penix Jr. will look for another special moment against Texas on New Year’s Day at 8:45 PM ET on ESPN in the Sugar Bowl semis of the college football playoffs.