As the Atlanta Falcons continue to prepare for their Week 9 matchup with the New England Patriots, they have been doing so with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. practicing in limited capacity as he continues to work his way back from a knee injury, which kept him out of their 34-10 loss to Dolphins. And while there have been concerns as to Penix Jr.'s ability to lead the Falcons' offense, his former college coach has full confidence in him.
"When he was wrapping up his time there at Washington and thinking about the next level, I just kept telling him whatever comes your way, it's not going to be easy. There's going to be different types of adversity that you're going to face," Alabama head coach, Kalen DeBoer, said as he joined 92-9 The Game's Carl Dukes and Mike Bell to share his thoughts on the Falcons' signal caller.
As Deboer shared some insight on past conversations he had with Penix Jr. in regards to helping him prepare for the NFL, he noted that pass challenges the second year quarterback face during his college career, more than prepared him for what he is currently facing as he and the Falcons' offense has had some struggles this season.
"I just kept reminding him that he's built for it. He's built for it emotionally and as a person and with his character but he's also built for it just physically," DeBoer said as he explained there should be a learning curve expected for Penix Jr. as he adjust to the NFL. "It's not always going to be perfect, he's going to make mistakes but he's going to stay in the fight because that's who he is," DeBoer said.