Penning has high hopes for NFL

 by Marianne Gasaway

Trevor Penning left it all out on the field.  Now, it’s just a waiting game.

Penning, a Clear Lake native who played his high school football at Newman Catholic and college ball at the University of Northern Iowa, is counting the days until the NFL draft.  The 6’7”, 325-pounder is expected to be drafted into the NFL in the first round, which would be the first time for any Panther in UNI history. 

For Penning, the draft is the realization of a longtime dream,

“It was always there, in the back of my mind— the ultimate goal,” he said. “In high school I thought about it; then in college it became more of a goal.  I was hoping for a shot— a chance to get on a team some how, some way.  Next I thought, ‘I don’t want to just make the draft.  I want to be an impact player.’”

Penning traveled to the Combine with a long list of credentials.  He was named to eight all-America teams, including the Phil Steele FCS All-America First Team Offense, Stats Perform FCS All-America Team and the Associated Press All-America Football Team.  He was named as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the national offensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision and was the first UNI player to be invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

At the Combine, Penning ran a 4.89-second 40-yard dash, which was the fourth best time in the field of linemen. He had a leap of nine-feet, three-inches in the broad jump and 28 inches in the vertical leap.

“I thought I could have done a little bit better,” said Penning, “but I was pleased with how I did.  I knew there would be long days and I was prepared for that.”

Long days at the Combine included evaluations not only on the field, but off.  For example, one day was spent at a hospital undergoing a series of tests.  

“They wanted to look at any past injury— any little thing from a sprained ankle to worse.  I had a pretty clean bill of health. I think I only missed one practice in college.  I’m good to go.”

Penning said he switched his training approach in the weeks heading into the Combine.

“Before the Combine, my focus was on the Senior Bowl and I was practicing to play football.   As the Combine approached, my training shifted from becoming a better football player to becoming a better athlete,” he explained.  “I wasn’t surprised by anything at the Combine.  I knew in training I was the fastest guy down there.  It was just a matter of performing.”

In addition to his skills and speed, Penning’s demeanor on the field also caught the attention of pro scouts.  

UNI offensive line coach Ryan Clanton described Penning as “one of the nastiest linemen I’ve ever seen in my life. I’d put him up with any NFL offensive lineman on the nasty scale.”

“I take that as 100 percent a compliment,” Penning said with a chuckle.  “It’s just how I play.  I play with a lot of physicality and I play to the whistle.”

Now that the Combine is over, Penning is back to “being a football player.”  He could have played for the Panthers this fall as a result of the effect the pandemic had on the college sport season in 2020, however, having finished his degree in movement and exercise science at UNI, he opted out of his senior season.  He is continuing to train on his own while in Cedar Falls, anxiously awaiting the April 30 draft.   He will take part in UNI’s Pro Day at the UNI-Dome March 21.  

Right now, he said he has no plans to travel to Las Vegas for the draft, but he is open to the idea if he is lucky enough to receive an invitation. He has already retained an agent.  Most likely, he said he will be home with friends and family.

Is there a specific team he hopes will call his name?

“My brother and I have been Viking fans all our lives, but I would be happy wherever.”