By TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection during his career from 1992-95, Michael Penix Sr. still stands as one of the top rushers in Tennessee Tech history.
He is one of five inductees into the 50th class of the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame. Along with Penix, Judson Dillard (men's basketball, 2009-2013), Angela Freund Bobo (soccer, 1998-2001), Daniel Miles (baseball, 2013-2014), and Zach Stephens (baseball, 2011-2014) will be inducted during the annual Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. CT at the Roaden University Center's Multipurpose Room. Tickets for the dinner are on sale by calling (931) 372-3940, visiting the Eblen Center ticket office, or by visiting TTUsports.com.
He ended his career with three games of over 200 all-purpose yards and 13 games with more than 100 rushing yards, including a school-record 261 yards against Southeast Missouri in 1993. Penix also holds the Tech record for longest run from scrimmage with a 92-yard touchdown run against Murray State in 1994.
Penix had three games where he had four touchdowns (Campbellsville and Morehead State in 1995, Morehead State in 1994) and had 14 touchdowns as a senior, as well as 10 more as a junior. He ended his career with 30 rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns.
Penix has the third-best scoring season in program history as a senior as he was responsible for 84 points. He also has two of the top 10 rushing seasons in program history with 1,208 yards in 1995 (5th) and 1,037 yards in 1993 (8th).
At the time his career ended, he was tied with Murray Cunningham for most points scored (198), second in rushing yards (3,463), second in all-purpose yards (4,055), and fourth in total offense (3,463). Penix currently stands third in scoring behind Hall of Famer David Collett (252 points) and Josh Foster (200), remains second in rushing yards (trailing Schreiber with 4,421), fourth in all-purpose yards (behind Schreiber with 5,925, Ladarius Vanlier with 5,392 and Hall of Famer Larry Shipp with 4,938).
He also caught 56 passes for 509 yards and three receiving touchdowns in his career.
Penix was the recipient of the 1995 Robert Hill Johnson Award, Tech Football's highest honor. He was also named Tech Athletics' Male Athlete of the Year in 1996.
Penix was included on the Tennessee Tech Football 100th Anniversary Team.
While he did not finish his degree at Tech, Penix went back to school, earning his bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2010, then earned an additional associate's degree in arts from Pasco-Hernando State College.
