In 2024, Be Like Mike

I’ve been a fan of Husky Football for a long time. 

In high school—when I was still flirting with the idea of being a sports journalist—I wrote an article for the school newspaper titled “Roses? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Roses.” The title came from a shirt my dad wore back in the mid-90s regarding a 2-year postseason bowl ban levied against the UW program following the 1992 football season. 

Growing up in Wazzu Cougar Country, writing an article like that was foolish—at best, no one read it; at worst, someone might've keyed my car—but the words demanded to be written.

After the 1992 season, the Pac-10 smashed the foundations of the UW program for recruiting violations, pre-NIL donors-paying-players, and other gray area transgressions. In hindsight, in light of the modern state of college football, the missteps don’t seem so egregious. But UW broke the rules and faced the consequences.

It all led to the resignation of legendary Husky coach Don James, who guided the mighty men in purple and gold to a shared national championship in 1991 with the Miami Hurricanes, which UW crushed a few years later during the Whammy in Miami under former DC Jim Lambright. 

From National Champions—with players like Napoleon Kaufman, Lincoln Kennedy, Mario Bailey, and Mark Brunell—to reprimanded rebuilders…

It was a shocking plummet

The sanctions led to a decades-long period of college football malaise at the UW, with more (genuinely appalling) violations under Rick Neuheisel, an 0-12 season in 2008 despite having Husky legend and future NFL quarterback Jake Locker on the roster, the resignation of Tyrone Willingham, the brief flirtation with success under Steve Sarkisian, and eventually, the home run hire of Chris Petersen, which led the Huskies back to a rightful state of national prominence that most college football fans—given how long we’d languished—didn't even know existed in the first place.

When things got particularly low—amidst the 12-year losing streak to our rival Oregon Ducks from 2004-2015—I remember asking my dad if he thought we’d ever beat U of O.

UW Football is sacred in my family. The thought of never beating the Ducks again was supremely depressing.

Fast forward to 2023

If you told me that the 2021 hire of Kalen DeBoer would have yielded this dramatic turnaround—after another setback in the lost season of Jimmy Lake—I wouldn’t have believed you. 

This season, we beat the Ducks twice and advanced to the college football National Championship last night. From 4-8 before DeBoer’s arrival to 14-0 two years later, it feels like a minor miracle.

But then again, this Husky team feels like it's destined to win it all. There's strange magic in the air.

Regardless of what happens next Monday, this team has cemented their legacy, as has a 23-year-old player named Michael Penix Jr.

Another Husky Legend, for more reasons than one

Michael Penix Jr. is a fantastic football player. But what I love most about him—and what sets him apart from his peers, in my mind—is his drive, humility, and constant acknowledgement of the fact that without his teammates, he wouldn’t have ascended to his current level of greatness, including being the Heisman Trophy runner up.

Below is a picture of the suit jacket Penix wore at the ceremony:

This one image perfectly captures Michael Penix’s persona.

He stitched the names of every one of his UW teammates into the fabric. Printed inside Jayden Daniels’ custom coat (the eventual Heisman winner) were images of him striking the trademark Heisman pose.

I don’t blame Jayden Daniels. The image he projects is a product of our viral-celebrity-culture world. Still, I’m so happy that Penix is our quarterback for many reasons. Despite external influences, he’s remained a team-first leader. And thanks to the most epic game of his career to date, we’re playing next Monday for a national championship against the team we won our last one against during the 1991-1992 season.

Daniels, the eventual Heisman winner, didn't even play in his team's bowl game—a smart decision, one I agree with, but thanks to our guy, we're playing for a championship.

In Michael Penix’s post-game interview with Molly McGrath, they had a brief exchange that captured another element of his character:

MOLLY: 430 passing yards in this game—you told us earlier this week that ‘I’ve yet to play my best game as a Husky.’ Was tonight it?

MICHAEL: No, we got one more to go.

“Don’t rest on your laurels.” The guy just led his team to win the Sugar Bowl against an uber-talented, SEC-bound Texas team, and he’s already thinking about what’s next.

I want to be like Mike. What if I dealt with all of my wins like that? And my losses?

The possibilities are exciting to think about. 

Enough nerding out about college football—what’s next for 2024

The recommended wisdom is that a person crafts SMART goals:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-Based

Transparently, I suck at creating SMART goals. I think, in part, it’s due to the pressure. I tend to be intrinsically motivated without feeling the need to check off milestones on a checklist. The pressure to complete a checklist actually works against me. 

Here’s an example of intrinsic motivation. 

In recent months—as a means of blowing off steam initially, but now as an intellectual passion to learn the sweet science—I’ve become obsessed with boxing in my garage. Kudos to Tony Jeffries for his exceptional instructional videos.

My boxing goal for 2024?

Be like Mike, and just keep driving. 

Like Michael Penix Jr., be humble, but embrace this newfound passion and see where it leads. Not toward a fight, per se, because getting knocked out as a dad with two youngsters and a lot of life left to live is not a great idea. But drive toward simply getting better. Join a gym. Keep getting in better shape. Above all, commit a bit of time every day to practicing and having fun.

Here’s a more concrete goal. 

I’ve been working on a novel I started for my son Avery for the last two years. It’s snowballed into an epic Middle-Grade tale in its seventh draft. It’s called Motorkid.

 My plan for 2024 (after doing one more pass and attempting to cut ~16,000 words) is essentially to not to give up.

1. Either get an agent within the year, or
2. Self-publish instead of letting this manuscript molder away on Google Drive like the other two novels I’ve written

Be like Mike, and just keep driving. 

Be humble—you’re not Rick Riordan yet—but realize you have a team you can rely on to continue your quest toward becoming a published novelist.

My “team” is exceptional.

I’ve got my son Avery, mascot and Chief Inspiration Officer. My wife Miriam is in my corner and continues to support my dreams, no matter how far-fetched. My son Truman, my immediate family, my extended family, and publishing industry SMEs who I can work with are also vital, and they’ll help me push this thing closer to the finish line through encouragement, practical wisdom, or whatever else.

It’ll be vital to give them credit and affirm their contributions, not only because it’s the right thing to do but also because that creates the kind of team spirit that has led the 2023-2024 Washington Huskies to become legendary.

I have another goal, too, concerning family. 

My son Avery has had some recent medical issues that will require us to hunker down, absorb some significant healthcare expenses, and travel halfway across the country to get the best help available for his rare disease.

I’m feeling good about the situation overall because the disease Avery has been diagnosed with IS NOT fatal. But it will have an impact on his life and our family.

Stress adds up, but again, I have a team. Also, I genuinely believe there’s power in positive thinking. Don’t take my word for it—Johns Hopkins Medicine has researched the topic extensively.

Be like Mike, and just keep driving 

Recognize your blind spots and areas for growth. Leverage your team. Believe that you can become victorious.

That’s the gist of it. Being stronger for my family isn’t a SMART goal, but it is a bright goal, and it will lead to a better year despite many things that are outside of my control.

In 2024, Be Like Mike

Whatever happens next Monday in the National Championship game against the Michigan Wolverines, my favorite athlete is Michael Penix Jr. 

He’s a joy to watch play the sport he loves. But as a lover of stories, I’m most interested in what this guy has overcome. 

Multiple season-ending injuries. Seemingly-impossible in-game situations. Being an underdog in the eyes of the pundits game after game.

I’m almost 14 years Michael Penix Jr’s elder, but I respect him as a peer. He’s an old soul from whom I have a lot to learn.

My goal for 2024—maybe more of a motto—is simple:

Be Like Mike.

I have high hopes that it’ll take me far, professionally and personally, as I continue navigating life's various twists and turns.

Go Dawgs.