Michael Penix Jr. addresses Desmond Howard's viral 'Big Penix Energy' chant, nickname

Last week on College GameDay, Desmond Howard went viral for his “Big Penix Energy” chant in support of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Howard isn’t the first ESPN personality to use that nickname — Robert Griffin III coined it last year — but his pronunciation quickly made its way across social media.

As for who says his name better, Penix didn’t hesitate.

“You say my name right, so you say it better,” Penix told Griffin on his RG3 and The Ones podcast. “He’s saying my name wrong, but it’s all good.”

Griffin started using the “Big Penix Energy” nickname last year as Penix put together a strong debut season at Washington as he reunited with Kalen DeBoer. He finished in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting as he threw for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns after transferring from Indiana, and he decided to come back for one more year this season.

He hasn’t missed a beat. Through six games this year, Penix has thrown for 2,301 yards and 20 touchdowns to help Washington to a perfect 6-0 record. His biggest performance in Seattle came last week as he helped the Huskies defeat Oregon 36-33 in a thrilling rivalry matchup.

As far as the nickname goes, Penix has seen it take off given his success at his new program. Griffin first used it last year when Washington took on Michigan State — a game in which Penix threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns in a 39-28 Huskies victory. It comes seems like it toes the line as far as NSFW, but so long as people are using the name in a good way, he’s perfectly fine with it.

“It’s cool to me, as long as it’s not out of, like, disrespect,” Penix said. “It’s always about that with my name. I understand, I’ve got a unique name. But as long as there’s respect behind it and nobody’s disrespecting my name and what I stand for, it’s cool.”

Penix has also capitalized on the nickname in the NIL space. Last year, after Griffin said it on the broadcast, it appeared on t-shirts as part of a deal with Simply Seattle. Penix made sure to credit Griffin for helping come up with the phrase, which eventually led to the NIL deal.

“It’s crazy. The NIL world is crazy,” Penix told Griffin. “But it’s cool. It’s cool to be able to do that. Man, appreciate you.”