TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- On Monday night, Tampa Bay's very own Michael Penix Jr. will lead the Washington Huskies in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship against the undefeated Michigan Wolverines.
For Penix Jr., this has been a moment he's prepared for since high school when he was playing football at Tampa Bay Tech under head coach Jayson Roberts. The Heisman Trophy finalist says he'll never forget where he came from.
“We all knew it was only a matter of time before the world would be able to see just how special he is," his former coach, Roberts, said. "We’d watch him play, and we’d say to ourselves, 'Man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone make that through before.'"
The left-handed quarterback flourished in the Titans' spread-style offense.
In Penix’s two years at Tampa Bay Tech, he threw for 4,243 yards with 61 touchdowns, but Roberts knew right away his talent was unlike anything he’d seen before.
“It was the second or third day that he was here. He was on this side. I remember he was on this field, and he was on this hash and threw a 10 to 15-yard pass to the sideline on a complete frozen route, and me and some of the other the coaches looked at each other like, 'There ain’t too many guys in the NFL that can make that throw,'” Roberts said.
“It really just serves as confirmation that we weren’t crazy when we saw what we saw here as coaches. This kid is different,” he said. Penix Jr. was also a multi-sport athlete.
He led the Tampa Bay Tech boy’s basketball team to its first-ever District Title. He also played baseball and ran track, competing in jumping and sprints, but Penix's road has not been easy.
He committed to Indiana, where he wore the same number as he did at Tampa Bay Tech – No. 9.
He started off his college career unlucky at Indiana University. He redshirted the 2018 season and suffered a season-ending ACL injury against Penn State. From there, he had three more season-ending injuries – his freshman, sophomore, and junior years.
But he still persevered.
By the end of his tenure as a Hoosier, Penix Jr. finished his career 342-of-576, 59 with 29 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and five 300-yard games.
Penix ranks 10th in passing touchdowns on Indiana’s career lists and won the following awards: Maxwell Award Watch List, Davey O’Brien Award Watch List, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Watch List, Manning Award Watch List, and Johnny Unitas Award Watch List.
Then, things started to really take off.
He transferred to Washington and won the Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player. The signal-caller finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, which is the highest ever for a Husky.
“In today’s college football world, with the transfer portal and an NIL, it’s really easy for a high school player to get discouraged. He has a story about him and his recruiting process. He had his dream school and at the last minute, in the 12th hour, they decided they did not want him anymore. He could’ve let that really affect him, but instead, he used it as motivation and used it as fuel and did not let it deter who he was,” Roberts said.
Penix's journey has taken him from Florida to Indiana to Washington and, now, to the National Championship.
If Penix Jr. wins the National Championship on Monday night, he will become the first-ever quarterback from the Tampa Bay area to win a National Championship.
The No. 2 Washington Huskies will take on the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines at 7:30 p.m.