TotalSports NFL Draft 2000 Player Profile - Chad Pennington
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP)(April 15) - New York already has Park Place. Now it will be known as Pennington's
pad.
Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington was selected 18th overall by the
New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft on April 15.
"I'm staying green, so I'm doing great," Pennington said from his
parents' home in Knoxville, Tenn.
As many as 40 relatives and friends, including former Marshall teammate
Larry McCloud, were there to celebrate with him.
"I've got calls coming from everywhere" Pennington said.
Pennington has no second thoughts about going from a small school in
the heart of Appalachia to the glare of the Big Apple.
"That makes it more exciting. They're great football fans. They're
awesome," Pennington said, having watched Jets fans at the draft call
his name earlier in the
first round. "Hopefully, I'll win them over to my side."
The Jets, who had four first-round picks overall, passed over
Pennington twice earlier in the round but refused to overlook him a
third time. Jets coach Al
Groh said he was somewhat surprised that Pennington was still
available.
"It is a very fortuitous call for us because usually when you get this
type of quarterback you have to use your first-round selection to get
him," Groh said.
"We've already taken two players that will really help our team and
yet were also able to get a first-round selection at quarterback."
Still, the selection was considered somewhat of a surprise, even to
Pennington.
Vinny Testaverde, coming back from a torn Achilles tendon, is New
York's No. 1 quarterback. Ray Lucas replaced him last season, but the
Jets felt they
needed more protection at the position and selected Pennington.
"It's a win-win situation for me," Pennington said. "I go into a
great football town, where I've got one of the best coaches in
(quarterbacks coach) Dan
Henning being my mentor, and Vinnie Testaverde being my teacher."
Three teams that had considered taking Pennington passed him over
earlier in the round. The Pittsburgh Steelers took Michigan State
receiver Plaxico Burress;
the Denver Broncos selected Cal cornerback Deltha O'Neal, and the San
Francisco 49ers took Michigan State linebacker Julian Peterson.
"I do like Chad Pennington, but I do like Brian Griese and I do like
Gus Frerotte," said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. "I've got two
quarterbacks who are
going to fight it out."
As the minutes turned into hours, Pennington wasn't dejected over the
initial snub.
"No, not at all," he said.
Although Pennington was chosen lower in the round than some expected,
he was still the first quarterback selected.
Pennington finished fifth in this year's Heisman Trophy balloting. He
led the Thundering Herd to a 13-0 record and a No. 10 ranking in the
final Associated
Press poll.
He finished his career with 13,143 yards passing and 115 touchdown
passes.
Pennington will have some company in his rookie season from West
Virginia tight end Anthony Becht, who was chosen by the Jets with the
27th overall pick in
the first round.