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Southern Native Pennington Plans Post-Football Career in Real Estate
By Dave Link
 New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington loves the bright lights and big city life where he makes his living. His heart, and his business interests, however, remain in the South.
“We enjoy New York,” Pennington says. “We live in New York year-around, but we know we eventually want to settle in the Southeast.”
Pennington, born and raised in Knoxville, Tenn., begins his sixth season with the Jets this fall. The Jets signed him to a seven-year contract extension worth $64 million before the start of the 2004 season.
It’s a ways off, but Pennington is already making plans for his post-football days. He is primary investor in #10 Marine, Inc., which manages properties and lake home rentals near Knoxville. A subsidiary company is Pennington 33 Bridge Marina on Norris Lake.
Pennington purchased the full-service marina in February of 2001.
 “Since I turned pro, I have different philosophies on investments,” Pennington says. “One of my philosophies is to invest in the grass-roots people where I’m from. It’s a personal thing for me to come back to the area where I grew up and provide recreation and enjoyment to people who I grew up with, my type of people.
“My eventual goal is to get involved in real estate development. Right now, we’re in the infant stages with my company. We will try to build slowly.”
It may take the same path of his football career.
Pennington was a late bloomer. He played at Webb School of Knoxville, a private preparatory school from which he graduated in 1995.
When he finished his high school career, Pennington had no Division I scholarship offers.
Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., then an NCAA Division I-AA program, saw an abundance of potential and offered Pennington a scholarship.
“Physically, I didn’t have the physical skills and hadn’t developed enough to play Division I football coming out of high school,” Pennington says. “Mentally I was there, but physically I wasn’t. I was 6-foot-2, 175 pounds coming out of high school. I wasn’t very strong and I wasn’t very fast. I didn’t have the physical tools. Luckily I went to Marshall and they ended up going Division I.”
Pennington’s career eventually took off at Marshall, where he threw for 13,143 yards and 115 touchdowns in his four-year career.
His best season was in 1999 when he threw for 3,799 yards and 37 touchdowns – completing 67.9 percent of his passes – while leading Marshall to a 13-0 record and No. 10 national ranking, the highest in program history.
“I love going back to Huntington and visiting Marshall and Huntington,” Pennington says. “As a former player, I enjoy staying involved with the football program. I definitely try to get back there two or three times a year.”
The Jets drafted Pennington in the first round with the 18th overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft.
Pennington played sparingly the first two seasons, appearing in three games. He moved into the starting job in 2002 and threw for 3,120 yards and 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions.
Last season, Pennington started 13 games and threw for 2,673 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Pennington had surgery to repair his torn right rotator cuff in February, a couple of months after the Jets’ 20-17 overtime loss to Pittsburgh in the second round of the NFL playoffs.
In June, Pennington was throwing 80 or so passes every other day. When the Jets begin preseason training camp July 29, Pennington expects to be ready.
“It’s doing real well,” Pennington said of his shoulder if June. “I’m taking it one day at a time and making progress.”
 He has become accustomed to being under the microscope of the New York media. He does not read the newspapers or listen to talk radio, and he has had an occasional bout with media.
When the media blitzes him with questions, Pennington tries to be frank.
“I’m just a good ole’ Southern boy,” Pennington says. “I just want them to know where I stand.”
Pennington spends some of his off-season in the Knoxville area.
“I grew up around Norris Lake,” Pennington said. “I’ve always loved the area. I’ve always had the lofty goal of being able to own a marina and do business on the lake.”
His father, Elwood, is president of #10 Marine and Pennington 33 Bridge Marina. Chris Acuff manages and runs day-to-day operations of the marina.
“I have two great people involved who have my best interests in mind,” Pennington said. “I don’t have to worry about my business with them involved.”
Pennington hasn’t forgotten his alma maters, either. In the summer, Pennington conducts a youth football camp at Webb School, and with the help of his wife, Robin, set up the 1st And 10 Foundation at Marshall.
The foundation was set up for two reasons: to raise money for leukemia research, and to fund community centers in small towns in West Virginia and East Tennessee.
Pennington’s father-in-law, Bob Hampton, died of leukemia in 2003.
“For 10 months, we saw how big of an impact blood research (on leukemia) and patient family services were,” Pennington said. “Not only is the patient going through a rough time, but the family is as well.”
The 1st And 10 Foundation also helps build, fund, maintain and staff community centers in rural areas.
“People in these areas don’t have access to community centers like they have in Knoxville or bigger cities,” Pennington said. “These community centers help kids and senior citizens and really everybody stay involved and active.”
Pennington says football remains his priority, and he lets the people he trusts keep his businesses running.
He will be more involved once his football career is finished, but for now is focused on getting the Jets to the Super Bowl.
“I’m strictly an investor right now,” Pennington says. “Any decisions that are made, I’m usually not involved. I’m just an investor or shareholder. It gives me a good break in the off-season, and I enjoy it. When it comes to football season, this is my career. I’m focused on football.”
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