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Pennington Speaks!
Chad Pennington, Heisman candidate QB from Marshall, participated in chat that ESPN.com ran in cooperation with FANSonly on Friday morning. He talked about playing at a small school, the Herd's switch to Division-I and much more. Read about it below.
For Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington, it's always been about playing the game he loves. The key word is "playing", not "sitting", and it's exactly why the senior quarterback picked Marshall over walking on at a larger university.
Pennington told users at an ESPN chat on Friday morning that playing for a smaller school actually works as a motivating force for him and his teammates to show they can play with the "big boys" of college football.
Pennington talked about his chances at the Heisman, what he learned from playing with Randy Moss and Marshall's jump to Division I competition. If you missed the Sept. 17 chat session, an edited transcript is listed below.
Ben Johnson: We are all proud of you here at Marshall! You are doing the school and the community
proud! Are you satisfied with the offense? Do you wish we threw it more, ran it more, or what?
Would you like more agressive play calling?
Pennington: I'm satisfied with our offense and the play calling. I think it is very important to have a balanced
attack, and that is what we have.
Charlie and Laura: Do you think going to a smaller school such as Marshall has
been an advantage or a disadvantage in your maturing process?
Pennington: Going to Marshall has been the best decision I have ever made. I have had a chance to play for
championships every year which has enabled me to play in big games. I hope this will prepare me for the future
Mark: I've enjoyed watching you for three-plus years now, and I am impressed with your ability to
recognize defenses and alter the offense to take advantage of the defense's weakness. How
much freedom does the coaching staff give you, and which team's defense has given you the
most trouble during your career?
Pennington: I have a lot of freedom on the line of scrimmage to take advantage of certain defensive looks.
But the most important thing is to understand what the coaches are looking for and not get too
greedy with making audibles. Probably, West Virginia gave me the most problems in 1997
because of all the defensive pressure they put on us.
Darkins: Are you satisfied with Marshall's transition up to Division I? Is there a big difference?
Pennington: I am really satisfied with our transition to Div. I because we have been able to compete for
championships every year. The biggest difference in Div. I is the overall depth that teams have
and also more speed.
Wes: Do you think that going to a smaller school with less publicity has hindered any Heisman chances
that you have, as was the case with Randy Moss?
Pennington: Going to a smaller school has definitely hindered my chances at the Heisman. But that doesn't
bother me because it gives me a challenge to prove that I can play with the "big boys" of college
football.
Phil from Atlanta: Just wondering what the team mentality is for this week's game against Bowling Green? Is
revenge on the minds of the players?
Pennington: We're really excited about playing Bowling Green. This is a big game because it is our first
conference game of the year and we have to win our conference to go to a bowl game. Revenge is really not on our minds.
CUTiger: I am a Clemson fan and wanted to ask you about the game down here in Death Valley.
Did you feel that our defense was that good to keep you guys out of the endzone until the fourth
quarter or was it just problems that come along with playing the first game of the season?
Pennington: I think both Clemson's defense and first game mistakes affected our offensive performance at
Clemson. Luckily, we were able to make some adjustments (because of their blitz packages) and pull out the victory.
Bill: I'm a student at Western Michigan and I was wondering what your thoughts were of
Tim Lester and of the showdown of the two top MAC QB's on Nov. 13?
Pennington: I think Tim Lester is a great quarterback at Western Michigan. He executes the offense to
perfection and causes a lot of problems for opposing defenses. Our game in November will be exciting for the fans and the players.
Dave McComas: How about a prediction on the Tennessee-Florida game?
Pennington: My prediction for the Tennessee-Florida game:
Tenn. 27
Fla. 23
CP4Heisman: Did you know that CSU lost last night? It should help the team rise in the rankings after our
victory Saturday! Anyway, how high do you think Marshall can climb in the polls this season?
Pennington: Our top 25 ranking depends upon whether or not we can stay undefeated. Being a smaller
school, if you lose, then your team will lose the respect it needs for top 25 consideration.
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PENNINGTON'S FILE
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Pennington is the only returning finalist for the Davey O'Brien
National Quarterback Award and holds 10 or more Marshall football
records.
He was selected as a team captain for the 1999 season and is one of
12 players contacted by the Downtown Athletic Club requesting
information as a "likely contender" for the Heisman Trophy.
Pennington has thrown for over 10,000 yards in his three-year career
and was named first-team all-MAC by the league's coaches last
season. He was also named all-MAC by FOOTBALL NEWS and
Most Valuable Player of the Motor City Bowl after throwing for 411
yards and four touchdowns in a 48-29 win over Louisville.
So far this season Marshall is 2-0, including a 13-10 win over
Clemson. Pennington is 52-75 on the year with 612 yards and four touchdowns passing |
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Data
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Mike H: Is there a website where I can purchase MU merchandise?
Pennington: You can purchase Marshall merchandise at www.herdzone.com.
Fish: How much does it wear on you constantly having the media ask questions referring to the small
school issue like you are less of a player? Does that begin to bother you?
Pennington: It gets irritating sometimes to constantly hear the "small school" theory every time the media talks
about Marshall and myself. But I use that as another challenge and a source of motivation.
Joe: Have you and the team been working on getting penalties under control?
Pennington: Minimizing penalties is a big concern for our team. In big games, you can't have tons of
penalties. So we know that we have to play smarter to eliminate those errors.
Brad: What was it like throwing the ball to Randy Moss? Do you dream about having that opportunity
again?
Pennington: Throwing to Randy Moss was awesome. He made me really confident every time I dropped
back. But having Randy as a receiver also taught me how to read the rest of the defense because they would double and triple team him a lot. It would be sweet if I could throw to him again.
ih8thevols: I don't like that Vols pick. Which quarterbacks did you admire growing up? Also, which
of the top three quarterbacks drafted last year do you think was the best?
Pennington: Growing up my favorite quarterback was Joe Montana. Montana epitomized the word
quarterback. He was a great leader on the field, very calm in the pocket, and was very accurate. His arm strength wasn't the best but he knew how to throw the ball on time and with awesome with his accuracy. He was a true quarterback.
I felt all three quarterbacks taken had good attributes at the quarterback position. It will be interesting to see who rises to the top.
Justin paul (philadelphia): First I'd like to say I'm from Huntington and live in Philadelphia now but I still follow Marshall
via the internet (realaudio). I'm very proud of what you and Marshall have accomplished. My question is what made you decide to play for Marshall?
Pennington: Coming out of high school I wasn't recruited by Div. I schools. I didn't want to walk on
somewhere and not contribute out on the field. I chose Marshall because I knew I would have a
chance to play and play for championships. The most important thing was that I wanted to be on
the field with my teammates.
Matt from Knoxville: I was wondering if you had a chance to play for Tennessee?
Pennington: Tennessee wanted me to walk on . At the time, Peyton Manning and Brandon Stewart were
there and it wouldn't have been a good idea for me to go to Tennessee. I wanted to play not just run through the "T" on Saturdays.
Herdhawk: I am a Marshall graduate and am on the faculty at Miami University (my heart is with The Herd).
What are your thoughts about returning to Oxford for the Oct. 2nd game?
Pennington: The Miami game will be amazing. It will probably be more exciting than the Clemson game
because of the rivalry that has been established. I can't wait.
Fivestringer: What's the mood like on campus and in town since the No. 25 ranking came out.
Pennington: People in Huntington are really excited about Marshall football. They have really high
expectations around here. So the top 25 ranking has only escalated the frenzy.
Joe: I know you have a lot of potintial receivers at any time. You threw two long balls against Liberty --
one for 40 and one for 29 -- but you havn't really been going deep. Any reason for this?
Pennington: I just try to take what the defense is giving us. If we have to run the ball and throw short, that is
fine with me as long as we are winning.
WMUchick: What do you think about all the talk about who is the best quarterback in the MAC -- you or Lester,
and do you think you can top his numbers?
Pennington: I don't worry about the talk of who is the best QB in the MAC. His numbers are really good and
hard to match. I just concentrate on making sure our offense is executing properly and let the numbers take care of themselves.
Josh Cook: Who is going to be the biggest challenge for you to win the Heisman Trophy?
Pennington: I think winning the Heisman is more about "what" is the biggest challenge rather than "who". Playing
for a smaller school makes it much tougher to win the Heisman.
T.J.: What NFL team would you like to play for?
Pennington: I will play for any team that will give me a paycheck. If I had to pick, I would want to play for a
team that is somewhat close to my home in Knoxville, TN.
Jason: How is Marshall's team going to look after your graduation?
Pennington: I think Marshall will be just fine next year. It will definitely be different because new players will
have to fill some positions that have been occupied for awhile. Graduating 20 seniors this year will be tough but not impossible to overcome. We have some good young players ready to step up.
Kelly Calloway: Do you ever regret sitting out your sophomore year while the Herd won a
championship? Personally, I was impressed at the maturity you showed and it looks like it's paid off in the long run.
Pennington: Sitting out my sophomore year was one of the best decisions Coach Pruett has ever made for
me. I was able to get better physically and mentally and also play three years in Division I.
Matt: Would you like to see the Marshall and WVU rivalry grow to a game every year?
Pennington: I wish Marshall would play West Virginia every year. Its a great game for the fans and the
players. We loved playing in Morgantown in 1997 and want to play again.
I have to go to class but thanks for all the questions and support. Take care.
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