Chad Pennington
 | This article has been cleared by an Approver on the wiki team. 37thchamber (talk) 12:43, 20 September 2018 (MDT) |
 Pennington's rookie debut | |||||||||||||||||
| No. 59 – Yellowknife Wraiths | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | October 10, 1999 (aged 61) New York City, NY | ||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 255 lb (116 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Fordham Prep High School | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Syracuse | ||||||||||||||||
| ISFL Draft: | 2023 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Retired | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
| Career NSFL statistics as of Week 8, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
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Player stats at ISFL.net | |||||||||||||||||
Chad Pennington (born June 7, 1999) is an American football linebacker for the Yellowknife Wraiths of the National Simulation Football League (NSFL). He played college football for Syracuse University (SU). Selected in the first round of the 2023 ISFL Draft (S8) by the Yellowknife Wraiths at 5th overall, Pennington was called up the following season from Tijuana to join the Wraiths. During Pennington's rookie DSFL season (his only season in the DSFL) he played for Tijuana and served as their captain. He won the awards for DSFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, DSFL Defensive Player of the Year, and DSFL Linebacker of the Year in 2022 (S7). During his rookie season with the Yellowknife Wraiths he won an NSFL Championship and has since been on the team's star linebackers.
Contents
Early years and College Career
Born in New York City, NY, Chad Pennington was born on the same date as his two brothers Brad Pennington and Thad Pennington. The triplets began playing football together at a very early age. With Brad show a knack for the throwing the ball, Chad and Thad would play as wide receivers until both of them converted to playing on the defensive side of the ball to help spread out the talent on their middle school team. As they entered High School, the three brothers found their positions on their teams solidified as each of their were first string players on the Fordham Prep High School varsity teams. Brad as the quarterback, Chad a linebacker, and Thad as a safety. After four successful campaigns playing for their High School, which saw them win 2 state championships as sophomores and seniors, the three brothers received full-ride scholarships to Syracuse University where they ended their college careers by winning a national title and then applying for the DSFL draft.
Chad's senior year was actually one of his more rough seasons of football in college. Some have speculated that he had been dealing with concussion problems which caused him to become somewhat out of shape, however he has since given testimony[1] on the reasons behind his drop in play, involving separation anxiety, attempted suicide, and depression. He has since begun seeing a team psychiatrist and has become a motivational speaker on mental illness and its effects on everyday life.
Professional career
Chad Pennington's career started in Tijuana during 2021 (S6). However, when he arrived there, he promptly stated that he would not be playing a single down against a team his brother was on. Epictitus Milburn, the general manager of Tijuana, although unhappy with it, respected Pennington's wishes and because both of the games he would have played that season were against teams Brad and Thad Pennington played for, Chad Pennington did not play during that season after being picked up on waivers by Tijuana.
The Pennington Brothers were all drafted by Tijuana in the 2022 DSFL Draft (S7) and finally Chad was able to start playing professional football. The Luchadores were a young team this season. As a rookie Chad was voted the team's captain due to his leadership on the field, becoming the team's all-star linebacker over the offseason through his work in the gym. Although he was able to secure three individual awards (Defensive Rookie of the Year, Linebacker of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year), the team was unable to secure a championship, losing the Ultimini final to the Portland Pythons, who were the clear favorite to win the Ultimini all season.
Chad Pennington was drafted to the Yellowknife Wraiths at 5th overall in the 2023 ISFL Draft (S8). His brother Thad Pennington was drafted by Yellowknife as well, however, after some issues between Brad and Chad on the field, Brad Pennington would be drafted by the San Jose Sabercats. Chad began seeing the team psychiatrist around this time and many attribute his drop in play during this period to the mental issues he was going through. As time went on his play improved as well as his mental health in part to the support of the Wraiths organization. Chad Pennington has stated that because of the support that the Wraiths organization offered him he does not see himself wearing the jersey of a different team for the rest of his career. The Yellowknife Wraiths made the playoffs during 2023 (S8) and managed to defeat the New Orleans Second Line in Ultimus Bowl VIII to close out Chad Pennington's rookie season.
2024 (S9) was a season of disappointment for Chad Pennington. His play improved marginally during this season, however, the Wraiths were unable to make the playoffs. Following their disappointing regular season, the team saw significant changes to their offense when the Wraiths traded for Brad Pennington who would come into the following season as their starting quarterback. When asked about how he felt about the state of the team, Chad Pennington stated he was unhappy with how he and the rest of the team performed, however, the Wraiths had shown a commitment to him in the past by helping with his mental disabilities and trading for his brother. In return, he would see a rebuild through to the end.
Following the 2024 seasons Chad Pennington would go on to have some incredible performances where he would take on a bigger role in the defense and start having consistent 100 tackle seasons. However, with a change in leadership which saw the team get a new quarterback who has already on the downswing the future that had been discussed in Yellowknife seemed to have been turned on its head. Along with Thad Pennigton, Chad's brother, he went to the new GM and requested a trade. The San Jose Sabercats would step up to the plate to pick up the two players to bolster their defense in an effort to make a push for the Ultimus.
Chad Pennington and his brother made their way from icy Yellowknife to sunny San Jose in 2027. During the two seasons following the trade the Sabercats would make the playoffs and lose to the Orange County Otters in the first round. However in 2029 the Sabercats would make it to the Ultimus and win by a score of 36 to 26 over the New Orleans Second Line. This would be Chad Pennington's 2nd and final Ultimus victory of his career.
After this season Pennington announced that with his game on the downswing he would no longer be practicing and would instead focus his time on being with his family. His final season would be in 2031 after losing in the first round of the playoffs two seasons in a row.
In retirement Chad Pennington plans to continue with his non-profit company, the Pennington Puppies and Kitties Foundation. His first order of business will be to open no kill animal shelters in Syracuse near his parent's home and in San Jose near his apartment. Plans to expand beyond that are tentative but with his career earnings there will certainly be money leftover to add more shelters when the non-profit becomes self sustaining.
Professional career statistics
| Career statistics | Tackles | Sacks | Interceptions | Other | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Reg | TFL | Total | Sack | Int | IntTD | DefTD | FFum | FRec | PD | Safety |
| 2021 (S6) | TIJ | 3 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 (S7) | TIJ | 14 | 130 | 5 | 135 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| DSFL Total | 17 | 152 | 5 | 157 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 (S8) | YKW | 14 | 72 | 0 | 72 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 (S9) | YKW | 14 | 81 | 0 | 81 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 (S10) | YKW | 14 | 121 | 3 | 124 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 (S11) | YKW | 14 | 108 | 3 | 111 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 0 |
| 2027 (S12) | SJS | 14 | 104 | 3 | 107 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2028 (S13) | SJS | 14 | 114 | 1 | 115 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2029 (S14) | SJS | 14 | 116 | 3 | 119 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2030 (S15) | SJS | 14 | 104 | 0 | 104 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2031 (S16) | SJS | 13 | 123 | 1 | 124 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2032 (S17) | SJS | 13 | 97 | 1 | 98 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| NSFL Total | 138 | 1040 | 15 | 1055 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 66 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 155 | 1192 | 20 | 1212 | 62 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 69 | 0 | |
Personal life
Chad Pennington has been dating his high school sweetheart since his senior year, though he has publicly stated he would like to wait until he retires to get married in case a life-altering injury drastically reduces his quality of life. He would prefer not to be married in that case to keep from needing to be cared for by his wife.
Outside football
He spends the offseasons at home in New York with his parents and during that time fundraisers for the Pennington Puppies and Kitties Foundation which is a non-profit Chad Pennington started after his first season in the NSFL. The idea came from his morning routine where Chad goes to the local animal shelter wherever he happens to be that day and goes for a run with one of the dogs there. Each season he donates a large sum of money to the foundation based on how many tackles he gets that season and has been campaigning around the league asking others to do the same. Notable players who have committed to donating to the foundation are Mat Akselsen and Dermot Lavelle.
Achievements and Records
Awards
- Team
- NSFL Champion (1): 2024 (S9)
- NSFL Champion (2): 2029 (S14)
- Individual
- NSFL Pro Bowl: 2025
- NSFL Pro Bowl: 2026
- NSFL Pro Bowl: 2032
- DSFL Defensive Player of the Year: 2022
- DSFL Linebacker of the Year: 2022
- DSFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: 2022
NSFL records
References
- ↑ "Chad Pennington Speaks About Past Demons". NSFL.net. September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
