Michael Penix Jr. made the first start of his NFL career on Sunday in an Atlanta Falcons win over the New York Giants, 34-7. Penix didn't have to do much thanks to two pick-sixes from the Falcons' defense and two rushing touchdowns from Bijan Robinson.
Still, Penix completed a respectable 18-of-27 pass attempts for 202 yards and only turned the ball over once, which was a big improvement over what Atlanta had been getting from Kirk Cousins who had thrown seven of his 16 interceptions this season in the last three weeks.
After the game Penix spoke with FOX's Laura Okmin who asked him to reflect on his memorable pre-draft words in The Players' Tribune about using an EKG to get to know him instead of an MRI.
"My heart is beating out of my chest right now...I worked all my life to get to this point."
— NFL on FOX Podcast (@NFLonFOXPod) December 22, 2024
Michael Penix Jr. is with @LauraOkmin after his first career start and win for the @AtlantaFalcons 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ce0PsmRLM6
"It's beatin' big right now," said Penix. "You probably can see it right now. It's coming out of my chest. I'm super happy. I'm super blessed. Man, like we talked about. I come from adversity. Even growing up, you know in the city where I'm from. In Dade City, small city. You know, I worked all my life to get to this point and I'm super blessed and super thankful."
Even better than getting his first win is the fact that the Falcons are now 8-7 this season and are still technically alive in the playoff hunt.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Michael Penix Jr.’s Heart Was Beating Out of His Chest After First Career Win.
