Together While Apart -- Penix Leading The Way
4/13/2020 6:13:00 PM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For Michael Penix Jr., separation breeds resolve.
Physically, the Indiana quarterback can't be around teammates and coaches amid Covid-19 social distancing. But in every other way that matters, he can.
Penix takes advantage from his Florida home, remaining the leader the Hoosiers need him to be.
"I wouldn't say it's difficult," he says about long-distance leadership. "I talk to all the players everyday between different group chats or text messaging. It's not difficult. It's something we've always done off the field.
"That's what makes us strong as a team because of that connection we have and that bond that we have. So we always communicate with each other, (especially) when times are hard like this."
The Hoosiers lost most of spring practice and the spring game, and the ability to use university facilities, but not an understanding of what's coming -- a challenging season begins with an opener at powerhouse Wisconsin. Not even a pandemic, Penix says, will disrupt that preparation.
"This time right now is showing the team how bad we really want it."
More than ever before, Penix says as he enters his third college season, he's ready to set an example.
"I feel like I've grown a lot. Whenever you have limited resources and adversity out there, sometimes people tend to change their ways. That's something I've been working on to make sure I don't do. I continue to push every day and I feel like nothing's stopped. It's all the same."
Penix is anxious to resume working with Hoosier receivers.
"I'm going to go back to Bloomington soon to get with some receivers. We are always communicating. We always talk about how we want to run things and how to stay on the same page and make sure we don't get off the page.
"When we get to come back, we're going to come right back to it. This is nothing we're worried about. I continue to stay focused and continue to work hard now that we have adversity in front of us."
As far as when Penix might return to Bloomington, he says he has no specific date.
"It's whenever the time comes."
Gaining weight remains a big point of emphasis for the 6-3, 218-pound Penix, as much for injury prevention as performance improvement. He had put on nearly 20 pounds by the time spring practice was shut down in mid-March -- he looked so buff and strong that defensive coordinator Kane Wommack joked that he could see Penix playing linebacker as well as quarterback -- and says going home to Florida hasn't changed that.
"My mom's been cooking a lot for me. My weight's definitely been staying the same, if not going up a little bit. I'm certainly not losing any weight.
"That's one thing that I have to continue to make sure I push on because that's a big factor and that's something that I push myself on. I can't just go out and come back not at my weight. That would be letting my team down and that's something I'm not going to do."
Penix says he's fully recovered from the sternum injury that ended his season and required surgery. In six games last year, he threw for 1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 68.8 completion percentage was a touch better than Peyton Ramsey's (68.0), the most accurate passer in school history.
"I'm very confident," Penix says. "I'm definitely ready. There's nothing holding me back.
"Every day is a turnaround. Just working hard to get back to where I am now and I definitely feel like I'm 100 percent and ready to go."
Verifying that readiness is cornerback Tiawan Mullen.
"Mike has a rocket for an arm. He's a great leader, a great quarterback."
And then Mullen offers a scary thought given Penix's hard-throwing reputation.
"His throws are much stronger after having gained 15 to 20 pounds. He can do it all. I feel like he is going to take us far this season."
First, Penix has to take himself beyond pandemic-caused obstacles. Drill work in Florida isn't easy given the state has closed fields to do it on.
"At the beginning of this," Penix says, "we were on the field. We were doing basic quarterback drills, just continuing to stay fresh on mechanics.
"As they're closing the fields down here, it's just been a lot of fractional work. Making sure that we're studying film and helping me continue to focus and stay sharp."
As far as training, Penix says he's doing workouts that newly hired strength coach Aaron Wellman has sent him, and all the Hoosiers.
"Everybody is with their families, but we all find gyms (if they're open). Different ways we can stay ready or stay in shape. That's what I've been doing. I've been training and running on my own for the most part."
Each workout is geared toward the individual player and the available equipment.
"(Wellman) made them specific for whatever we had," Penix says. "He sent out body workouts if we don't have weights. He sent out dumbbell workouts. If you have a full gym, he sent us a full gym workout. He's been talking to us and continuing to tell us that working out is going to keep us in shape."
Wellman and his staff emphasize staying healthy as well as getting bigger, stronger and faster. It's up to each player to get it done.
That's not a problem, Penix says.
"Everybody on the team wants it really bad. We push every day and push each other.
"Basically, if you want it that much, then you'll put in all the work that you need to come back and be successful. That's what all of us have been taking into consideration.
"I can guarantee you that all the players have been working extremely hard and pushing themselves. We know what we want to achieve. We're ready to go out and give it our all every day."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For Michael Penix Jr., separation breeds resolve.
Physically, the Indiana quarterback can't be around teammates and coaches amid Covid-19 social distancing. But in every other way that matters, he can.
Penix takes advantage from his Florida home, remaining the leader the Hoosiers need him to be.
"I wouldn't say it's difficult," he says about long-distance leadership. "I talk to all the players everyday between different group chats or text messaging. It's not difficult. It's something we've always done off the field.
"That's what makes us strong as a team because of that connection we have and that bond that we have. So we always communicate with each other, (especially) when times are hard like this."
The Hoosiers lost most of spring practice and the spring game, and the ability to use university facilities, but not an understanding of what's coming -- a challenging season begins with an opener at powerhouse Wisconsin. Not even a pandemic, Penix says, will disrupt that preparation.
"This time right now is showing the team how bad we really want it."
More than ever before, Penix says as he enters his third college season, he's ready to set an example.
"I feel like I've grown a lot. Whenever you have limited resources and adversity out there, sometimes people tend to change their ways. That's something I've been working on to make sure I don't do. I continue to push every day and I feel like nothing's stopped. It's all the same."
Penix is anxious to resume working with Hoosier receivers.
"I'm going to go back to Bloomington soon to get with some receivers. We are always communicating. We always talk about how we want to run things and how to stay on the same page and make sure we don't get off the page.
"When we get to come back, we're going to come right back to it. This is nothing we're worried about. I continue to stay focused and continue to work hard now that we have adversity in front of us."
As far as when Penix might return to Bloomington, he says he has no specific date.
"It's whenever the time comes."
Gaining weight remains a big point of emphasis for the 6-3, 218-pound Penix, as much for injury prevention as performance improvement. He had put on nearly 20 pounds by the time spring practice was shut down in mid-March -- he looked so buff and strong that defensive coordinator Kane Wommack joked that he could see Penix playing linebacker as well as quarterback -- and says going home to Florida hasn't changed that.
"My mom's been cooking a lot for me. My weight's definitely been staying the same, if not going up a little bit. I'm certainly not losing any weight.
"That's one thing that I have to continue to make sure I push on because that's a big factor and that's something that I push myself on. I can't just go out and come back not at my weight. That would be letting my team down and that's something I'm not going to do."
Penix says he's fully recovered from the sternum injury that ended his season and required surgery. In six games last year, he threw for 1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 68.8 completion percentage was a touch better than Peyton Ramsey's (68.0), the most accurate passer in school history.
"I'm very confident," Penix says. "I'm definitely ready. There's nothing holding me back.
"Every day is a turnaround. Just working hard to get back to where I am now and I definitely feel like I'm 100 percent and ready to go."
Verifying that readiness is cornerback Tiawan Mullen.
"Mike has a rocket for an arm. He's a great leader, a great quarterback."
And then Mullen offers a scary thought given Penix's hard-throwing reputation.
"His throws are much stronger after having gained 15 to 20 pounds. He can do it all. I feel like he is going to take us far this season."
First, Penix has to take himself beyond pandemic-caused obstacles. Drill work in Florida isn't easy given the state has closed fields to do it on.
"At the beginning of this," Penix says, "we were on the field. We were doing basic quarterback drills, just continuing to stay fresh on mechanics.
"As they're closing the fields down here, it's just been a lot of fractional work. Making sure that we're studying film and helping me continue to focus and stay sharp."
As far as training, Penix says he's doing workouts that newly hired strength coach Aaron Wellman has sent him, and all the Hoosiers.
"Everybody is with their families, but we all find gyms (if they're open). Different ways we can stay ready or stay in shape. That's what I've been doing. I've been training and running on my own for the most part."
Each workout is geared toward the individual player and the available equipment.
"(Wellman) made them specific for whatever we had," Penix says. "He sent out body workouts if we don't have weights. He sent out dumbbell workouts. If you have a full gym, he sent us a full gym workout. He's been talking to us and continuing to tell us that working out is going to keep us in shape."
Wellman and his staff emphasize staying healthy as well as getting bigger, stronger and faster. It's up to each player to get it done.
That's not a problem, Penix says.
"Everybody on the team wants it really bad. We push every day and push each other.
"Basically, if you want it that much, then you'll put in all the work that you need to come back and be successful. That's what all of us have been taking into consideration.
"I can guarantee you that all the players have been working extremely hard and pushing themselves. We know what we want to achieve. We're ready to go out and give it our all every day."
Players Mentioned
FB: Inside IU Football with Curt Cignetti - Week 7 (at Oregon)
Thursday, October 09
FB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 7 (at Oregon)
Wednesday, October 08
FB: Pat Coogan Media Availability (10/7/25)
Tuesday, October 07
FB: Aiden Fisher Media Availability (10/7/25)
Tuesday, October 07