I'll admit, when I first saw reports about what Michael Penix Jr. said about the support he gets off the field, I was concerned. The way it was being reported made it sound like Penix claimed to not have support on the sideline - and let's be real, if that were the case it would absolutely be malpractice and everyone should be fired.
Loud bangs awoke linebacker Daiyan Henley on Saturday morning. Henley thought he had overslept a meeting and rushed to the door of his hotel room. Standing outside was linebacker Denzel Perryman, who told Henley he needed to call his mother. When Henley did, he learned the most harrowing news of his life: his brother, Jabari Henley, was shot and killed the previous night. "Being transparent, I dropped to my knees," Henley said.
For a moment on Sunday night, UBS Arena went silent as young defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson crumpled to the ice after a center-ice collision with Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen. The 19-year-old immediately grabbed at his leg and needed help off the ice, putting no weight on it-a frightening scene for fans in his first preseason game. Fortunately, the injury wasn't as serious as it appeared.
This season has been one of the most difficult of my career but through it all, I have felt the love. With the grace of God, I am grateful to still be here, to still be fighting, to still be smiling, and to be in good spirits.