Michael Penix Jr. shares challenges of playing up to others' expectations

Michael Penix Jr. has raised the roof of his expectations over the last couple of seasons, but all that matters to him is what he expects of himself.

At the Heisman Ceremony in New York, the Washington Huskies quarterback took some time to elaborate on the challenges of living up to the expectations of others, which is something Penix simply said he doesn’t focus on.

“I feel like, you just can’t play for other people’s expectations. You’ve got to have something deep down inside yourself that you want to achieve, and goals that you set for yourself,” Penix explained, speaking to the media. “For me, I always say I play for God’s glory. Not for other’s expectations. People are going to expect you to do the unthinkable sometimes. But for you, you’ve just got to make sure that you’re being true to yourself, and just going out there and having fun. That’s what it’s all about.

“For me, that’s something that was big for me. Just going out there and having fun, and allowing me to go out there and perform at a high level.”

Moreover, Penix Jr. deserves praise for his phenomenal season, but even if he doesn’t win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, the Washington quarterback is proud that he’s part of that race, especially since winning and going undefeated this season are significant parts of his case.

His strategy is simple — Penix is just going to let whatever happens happen as far as the votes go ahead of the ceremony this weekend.

“It’s just a blessing to be able to be in that talk,” Penix added. “For me, it was always the main thing was to win. To be able to do that today on a stage like this? It’s incredible. I’m going to always savor this moment.”

“I’m just super excited. Right now? I’m just really living in this moment,” Penix continued. “Whatever happens come next weekend is going to happen. It’s already written.”

Penix Jr. also took that opportunity at the mic to thank the program for giving him the chance to even have a shot at being the Heisman. That included his offensive line that has allowed him to take just 10 sacks this season. He also mentioned his coaching staff for putting him in positions to be successful.

“Obviously, I couldn’t do it without the guys around me,” Penix said. “I got to thank my offensive line for all the work that they put in each and every day to allow me to stay clean on Saturdays. I’m just super blessed for the guys I have around me. Coach DeBoer and the staff as well, for sure.”

Penix Jr. led the nation in passing yards this season with 4,218. He also tied for second in passing touchdowns with 33 while maintaining a better than 3.5-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio. His completion rate was Top-25 in the country as well as he made 65.9% of his throws in 2023.

Michael Penix Jr. ignored the expectations placed on him by others, and it led to him exceeding them and then some. His advice is invaluable to any young quarterback looking to make their name known moving forward.

On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this article.