Rashaad Penny

BIOGRAPHY

Rashaad Armein Penny, who have made a notable mark in American football history as one of the prominent running backs of his time, was born on February 2, 1996. His alliance with the National Football League (NFL) spanned over six seasons, and he primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. Also, he has had an association with the Philadelphia Eagles for one season before his retirement in 2024.

Penny’s journey to the NFL started at Norwalk High School where he played the sport at the high school level. In his senior year, his skills in the game started receiving attention while he scored a prodigious 2,504 rushing yards coupled with 41 rushing touchdowns from a total of 216 carries. Adding to that, he collected 665 receiving yards after catching 21 passes, which included 10 receiving touchdowns. This promising performance gained him multiple offers to play college football, and Penny chose to commit to the San Diego State Aztecs (SDSU) where he again left a mark with his commendable performance as well.

Penny played college football for SDSU from 2014 to 2017. Looking into his 2016 season, he came out strong with 1,018 yards after just 136 carries, resulting in a commendable average of 7.5 yards per carry. In his 2017 senior year, he further solidified his professional potential by successfully rushing for 216 yards and 12.0 yards per carry against Arizona State. Yet another achievement came when he rushed for 175 yards and a strong average of 5.5 yards per carry against Stanford. Owing to these impressive performances, he consecutively won the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week award four times in 2017, and his 2,027 rushing yards that season ranked him among the top Division I FBS players.

In 2018, the Seattle Seahawks spotted Penny’s talent and selected him as their 27th overall pick during the first round of the NFL draft. This was an important milestone in Penny’s career, and he signed a four-year deal worth $10.7 million with the Seahawks. Making his debut in the same year with the Seahawks’ season opener, he took seven carries for eight yards and added 35 yards with four receptions. Though initially the team lost 27–24 to the Denver Broncos, Penny quickly gained his footing and, in a game against the Los Angeles Rams, left everyone in awe with his 108 yards from just 12 carries, which included a touchdown. His rookie season ended on a promising note with a total of 419 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

In 2019, Penny showed his influence on the field in just Week 2 itself, with 62 yards and a touchdown after ten rushes, helping the Seahawks claim a 28-26 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Further in the season, he had stellar performances, especially against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a torn ACL in Week 14, restricting him to just ten games but still achieving 370 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 83 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.

The following year, Penny was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) at the start of training camp but was moved back into the active roster by December 19, 2020. He only appeared in three games in that season. In 2021, the Seahawks decided not to exercise the fifth-year option on Penny’s contract, making him a free agent after the season. Nevertheless, Penny exhibited great performances, especially in Weeks 14, 16, and 17, setting career highs in rushing yards (749), attempts (119), and touchdowns (6). He even led the NFL in rushing attempts per yard among qualified players with 6.3.

Retaining Penny for the 2022 season with a $5.7 million one-year deal, the Seahawks season witnessed Penny’s breakthrough performance against the Lions, a season-ending broken fibula against the New Orleans Saints and his consequential placement on injured reserve.

In 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles took Penny onboard with a one-year contract, seeing him as a potential replacement for running back Miles Sanders. However, Diaz’s playing time was limited due to the team’s “committee approach” to their running back position, leading to him only appearing in three games with 11 carries and a total of 33 yards.

Penny signed with the Carolina Panthers in May 2024 and was subsequently placed on the reserve/retired list by them in July 2024, hence marking the end of his active football career. Apart from his successful football stint, Penny’s personal life counts four siblings (Robert Jr., Elijhaa, Breonna, and Brionne), and their parents are Desiree and Robert Penny. Interestingly, his older brother Elijhaa also had pursued a football career and is a retired NFL fullback.

In conclusion, Penny’s journey, from high school football to his six seasons in NFL, reflects a career filled with impressive achievements despite various setbacks. His performances have undoubtedly contributed to American football history and shall be recounted in the years to come.