Pennington out to quiet skeptics

Pennington out to quiet skeptics
Sunday, July 02, 2006
BY BRENT JOHNSON
Star-Ledger Staff

Dan Testa and a couple of friends shuffled up to the entrance of Champs Sports, gazing at the line of people waiting at an autograph table.

"Who's gonna be here?" they wanted to know.

"Chad Pennington," someone replied.

Testa wasn't interested.

"Ah, his career's done," the Lyndhurst resident said of the Jets' oft-injured quarterback.

Testa's analysis may be stretching it, but the question on Pennington lately is a grim one: Are his days as the Jets' starting quarterback numbered?

"They all know it," said Testa, a Chicago Bears fan, standing in front of the line of Jets supporters.

But Pennington appeared confident as he signed pictures, helmets and footballs for free at the Champs grand opening at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus Friday. Though he's still recovering from shoulder surgery, Pennington said he's no longer in pain.

"Everything's going well," said the 6-3, 225-pounder, who tore his right rotator cuff in the Jets' third game last season -- his second tear in two years. "I couldn't be happier with the way things are going."

Pennington returned to the field this summer to a new coaching staff and new competition. Jets head coach Eric Mangini has said all positions are open, including quarterback -- meaning Pennington, in theory, is fighting to reclaim his starting spot over backups Patrick Ramsey, Brooks Bollinger and Kellen Clemens, the team's second-round draft pick this year, out of Oregon.

Most of the Jets fans that lined the wall at Champs yesterday were enthusiastic in their support for Pennington.

"I hope you beat everyone out," Dave Herman of Fair Lawn told Pennington, passing him a gray and white Jets hat to sign.

Herman said he has been rooting for Pennington since he was a rookie.

"We said when we got him, we'd win at least one Super Bowl," he said. "So hopefully, he's the quarterback when we do win."

Herman's cousin, Jason Pavon, looked at the situation from a more open perspective.

"It's weird," said Pavon, who had Pennington sign a two-foot bobble-head doll. "But I guess the organization's got to move in whatever direction it's gonna move."

Pennington said he has no problem with the challenge.

"Athletics is all about competition," he said. "I embrace it. That's why I'm working so hard -- because I want to be the starter."

Pennington's autograph at the Field of Dreams sports memorabilia store, located just around the corner from Champs in Garden State Plaza, still sells at a high price: $379 for a signed football, $599 for a signed helmet.

Store sales rep Justin Zanca said Pennington pieces haven't moved as well as they used to, because of his injury, but he doesn't expect that to last for long.

"It'll probably be going up because he's playing again," Zanca said.

And playing again has been going well, Pennington said.

"I was able to go through spring practices and mini camps," he said. "I looked at that as a success because I made it through and I didn't have any setbacks."

Dressed in a white button-down shirt and light brown khakis, and sitting next to Lauren Harris, Miss FHM magazine 2005, who was also signing pictures, Pennington said the fans' support has been a big help getting through the past two years.

"A lot of times throughout the season, you hear about the negativity," said Pennington, who missed 16 games over the past two seasons. "But when you talk to fans, they've been really positive, really upbeat about everything."

Like Steve Francois of Ridgefield Park, who said he isn't worried about Pennington's chances.

"Not at all," said Francois, who stopped at the event after a shift at Journey's footwear. "Because when you have someone behind you and you're a good player, you just have to step it up a little more -- you play harder, you play better, you win games."

Asked if it has been tough having Pennington sidelined so often, Francois again flashed a sense of optimism.

"It was tough," he said. "But then people realized how much we needed him."