Background and career
James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy and MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1999 after leading the NCAA in passing touchdowns and completion percentage. Pennington was selected in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft by the New York Jets, where he spent his first eight seasons. In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Miami Dolphins. Pennington helped clinch a division title with the Jets in 2002 and the Dolphins in 2008, both of which are the most recent for either franchise. He also led the league in completion percentage during both seasons and in passer rating during the former. Pennington was the first player to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year multiple times, receiving the award in 2006 and 2008. At the time of his retirement, he held the NFL record for completion percentage. Since 2018, he has served as the head football coach of the Sayre School.
Pennington is a native of Tennessee. His father, Elwood, was a physical education teacher and football coach at Halls High School, and his mother, Denise, a teacher at the Webb School of Knoxville, both in Knoxville. Both of Pennington's parents are of English descent. Pennington's first sport was basketball, which he began playing in the third grade. He began playing football in his freshman year in high school. His parents decided to have him repeat the eighth grade when he was enrolled at the Webb School of Knoxville due to the school's intense academic program. He played basketball and football at Webb, but knew he had a better chance at getting into college via football. Pennington was recruited by only two colleges, Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In 1995, he went to a training camp at Marshall University, his parents' alma mater, where he was noticed by head football coach Jim Donnan and offered a scholarship.
Originally the Thundering Herd's fourth-string quarterback in 1995 and slated to be redshirted, Pennington led Marshall to the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, which Marshall lost to Montana, 22–20. The following year, Pennington was redshirted in favor of Eric Kresser, a transfer from the Florida Gators, who guided the Herd's return to the I-AA Championship game (a victory) in 1996. Pennington returned to play in 1997 as Marshall moved from Division I-AA to Division I-A, and led the nation in passing touchdowns with 39. He led Marshall to the school's first bowl game victory in a 48–29 rout of Louisville in the 1998 Motor City Bowl. Pennington was named the game's MVP. In his senior year (1999), Pennington led the NCAA in completion percentage (67.9%) and again in passing touchdowns (37). Marshall went undefeated at 13–0 as Pennington led the team to its third consecutive Mid-American Conference championship. Pennington and Marshall returned to Pontiac, Michigan for the 1999 Motor City Bowl, where they won, 21–3, over BYU, capping Pennington's undefeated senior season. Pennington set school records in several passing categories. He finished fifth in 1999 Heisman Trophy voting. Randy Moss was Pennington's top receiver at Marshall. Pennington finished his career at Marshall with 1,026 of 1,619 completions for 13,423 yards and 115 touchdowns with only 45 interceptions. In addition to his success on the football field, Pennington excelled academically, graduating with a degree in journalism, a 3.83 grade point average and becoming a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. He wrote frequently for Marshall's newspaper The Parthenon and was a broadcaster for the school's radio station WMUL, although he used a pseudonym on air so as not to be distracting.
Pennington was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft, 18th overall and the first quarterback taken. After making only three appearances during his first two seasons, Pennington emerged as the Jets' starting quarterback after filling in for Vinny Testaverde during the fifth game of the 2002 season. Pennington helped reverse the Jets' fortunes by leading the 1–4 team to an eventual 9–7 record and an AFC East division championship. Despite starting less than a full season, Pennington threw for 3,120 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. His 104.2 quarterback rating set a team record. In the Wild Card game, Pennington threw for a 142 QB rating, leading the Jets over Peyton Manning and the number four passing offense of the Indianapolis Colts. After their 2002 performance, Pennington and the Jets were given lofty expectations entering the 2003 pre-season; however, in the fourth pre-season game against the New York Giants, Pennington endured a fracture-dislocation on his left (non-throwing) hand after suffering a hit from linebacker Brandon Short. The injury forced him to miss the first six games of the season. Due to the severity of the injury, and a rushed rehab process, Pennington's wrist would never be the same, and his once outstanding play-fake became thoroughly ordinary. Without their starting quarterback, the Jets began the season 1–4. Despite his return, the Jets only won five more games to finish 6–10.
Into the 2004 season, the Jets signed Pennington to a team-record contract for seven years and $64.2 million and Pennington led the Jets to a 5–0 record. However, during a Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills, Pennington injured his rotator cuff and subsequently missed three games. Second string quarterback Quincy Carter was 2–1 in Pennington's absence. After returning to action with a rout of the Houston Texans. Despite a scuffle with the New York media and losses to the New England Patriots and the St. Louis Rams, the Jets earned a wild card berth with a 10–6 record. Pennington then led the Jets to a first-round, 20–17 overtime win against the AFC West Champion San Diego Chargers, as he went 23–33, for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Pennington and the Jets then faced the 15–1 Steelers at Pittsburgh. Despite the Jets' offensive struggles and facing a 10–0 deficit, the Jets defense and special teams rallied to score 17 unanswered points. However, Pennington and the Jets would see their season end with kicker Doug Brien missing two potential game-winning field goals that head coach Herm Edwards played into very conservatively. The Steelers went on to win in overtime. Pennington feuded with the local New York media throughout the season. During a news conference on December 20, 2004, Pennington scolded the assembled media, telling them it was 'not (their) right' but a 'privilege' of theirs to cover the Jets, 'to be around a bunch of professional athletes every day and do your job'.
Pennington underwent surgery on his right shoulder in Birmingham, Alabama on February 4, 2005. It was later revealed that he had suffered a substantial tear in the right rotator cuff, as well as a large bone spur on that shoulder. A dismal performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in September and a lackluster one against the Miami Dolphins the following week led to speculation that the shoulder had yet to fully heal, but both Pennington and Jets coach Herman Edwards denied this, citing a lack of pre-season practice and Pennington's less-than-full grasp of new offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger's plays. On September 25, 2005, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pennington once again suffered an injury, although he re-entered the game later and almost led the Jets to victory despite not throwing well. However, tests later showed another tear in his rotator cuff. On October 6, 2005, Pennington once again underwent surgery to repair his right shoulder. Pennington and the Jets expected that with more rehabilitation time than his first surgery, he would have better strength and control with his throws entering the 2006 season. In the midst of the eventually-resolved labor talks of February–March 2006, Pennington restructured his contract with the New York Jets to ensure he remained with the team for at least the 2006 season. Pennington was reported to have taken a significant cut in pay, with the amounts lost recoverable by way of achievable incentives; however, the Jets organization did not comment on contractual issues.
