FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. —In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. with their No. 8 overall selection. On the second day of the draft, the Falcons picked up Bralen Trice in the third round. Penix and Trice were teammates on opposites sides of the ball at Washington.
Penix: the quarterback.
Trice: an opposing quarterback's problem.
After the picks had been made, Trice sent a short text message to his collegiate - now NFL - teammate.
"I said, 'It's up, bro,'" Trice recalls. "The rest is history."
The last time Penix and Trice were on a football field together, the two former Washington Huskies competed under the bright lights of the college football national championship game.
Now, the two are teammates once again, only this time as Atlanta Falcons.
"It's a blessing to be able to see a familiar face," Penix said after the Falcons' rookie minicamp practice Friday.
Penix and Trice not only share a bond as college teammates but experiences few keenly understand. Not only did they reach the pinnacle of college football as underdogs with Washington, but they also had to collectively grieve the loss of falling short as Michigan beat Washington 34-14 in the championship game.
"It's good to have somebody that went through the hardships and ups and downs in the past season," Trice said.
Trice said Penix's leadership was the something he took note of last season. It was no more evident than after the championship loss.
"Working with him, it's just, 'Keep your chin up regardless of how we finished it out,'" Trice said, recalling his conversations with Penix. "14-1, we did great. I'm proud of how far we got and what we did."
Penix played two seasons with Trice after he transferred to Washington in 2022. He said the outside linebacker grew exponentially in the time they spent together.
"Seeing how (Trice) worked, the way he went about his business each and every day," Penix said. "It's no surprise that he's here. ... I know he's going to work hard."
Both Huskies-turned-Falcons had similar journeys leading up to their intersecting paths in Seattle, Washington.
Both were three-star recruits coming out of their respective high school programs. Both didn't get a chance to play a full college season before 2022. Then, both soared at Washington, leading the program to the first national championship appearance in 32 years. And now, the duo finds themselves on the Flowery Branch practice field thousands of miles away from where they first became acquainted.
"Nobody sees the work behind the walls and behind the scenes," Trice said. "That's the most important part."
That work - for Trice and Penix - has paid off enough to get them this far.
Take a look at the new faces in Flowery Branch as the rookies practice during minicamp.
Brandon Dorlus, Ruke Orhorhoro, and Zion Logue during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
JD Bertrand during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Casey Washington during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Bralen Trice during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Michael Penix Jr. speaks to media during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Michael Penix Jr. during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Casey Washington during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Casey Washington during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Ruke Orhorhoro during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Brandon Dorlus during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
JD Bertrand during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Brandon Dorlus during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Michael Penix Jr. during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
JD Bertrand during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Ruke Orhorhoro during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
JD Bertrand during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
JD Bertrand during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
JD Bertrand during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Zion Logue during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Brandon Dorlus during the 2024 Rookie Minicamp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
