Tonight’s Heisman Trophy ceremony had a very clear favorite, eventual – and deserved winner, Jayden Daniels. Whilst it was not the slam dunk, everybody-knows-who-its-going-to-be, a la Joe Burrow in 2019 – with whom Jayden Daniels shares an Alma Mater, it was widely expected that Daniels would be out fellow finalists, Washington quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., Oregon quarterback, Bo Nix and Ohio State receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr..
Yet, something that was not expected was the way that one of the runners up, Penix Jr. would celebrate the work of his coaches and teammates, who together guided the Huskies to a perfect 12-0 en route to winning the fiercely competitive Pac 12 Conference.
His gesture, whilst some would argue is slightly flamboyant, I think really shows genuine thoughtfulness for others on a night that is supposed to be about him (and the other finalists) – per Bleacher Report.
Michael Penix Jr. has all the names of his UW teammates and coaches on the inside of his jacket
What a Heisman fit 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R7Fp2q7fs9
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 9, 2023
What Inspired This Move From The Heisman Trophy Finalist?
There hasn’t been any concrete answer to this as of yet, but the main reason one can imagine that Michael Penix Jr. did this is to honor the work that everyone around him has put in over the past year, the work to which has culminated in a perfect regular season for Washington. Even for a player who is presumably due to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, this is still something incredibly meaningful.
Moreover, and speaking of the 2024 draft – think of the implication. Look, I don’t want to sound like a sceptic – a move like this doesn’t exactly make you look bad on a national stage, at a time where more and more NFL GMs focus on character ahead of simple raw arm talent. Especially for a player who, with the right offseason, combine and pro day workouts – may see himself becoming a first round pick.
And you can’t imagine after a gesture like this, that any of his teammates or coaches would say a bad word about him. Great thing to do.
For Additional Content
Hello there. If you enjoyed this article (or, really, even if you didn’t). Please go and follow me on Twitter @danielarwas for more NFL breaking news, updates, and “special edition” previews.
