Elijhaa Penny named new John Glenn football coach

NORWALK – In a huge move for a football program that is in need of a big shot in its proverbial arm, John Glenn High School has just announced the hiring of local legend and former NFL player and Norwalk High star Elijhaa Penny as its new coach.

“The John Glenn Athletic Department is happy to announce Elijhaa Penny as our new football coach,” John Glenn athletic director Linda Parra said. “Elijhaa is a very likable man. He brings a ton of positive energy. We have had some great talks.

“Elijhaa is a member of the Norwalk community. He knows what it takes to become a successful student-athlete and is going to be a great role model for our students.

We all know that taking on a head coaching position is not an easy task, but I am confident that Elijhaa will bring his positive energy each day to develop his players. He will teach our athletes that anything is possible with hard work and determination. I look forward to working with Elijhaa and supporting him in his new role.”

John Glenn principal Dr. Jennifer Padilla also knows how big of a moment this announcement is for the Eagles program.

“As the proud principal of John Glenn High School, I am thrilled to welcome Coach Penny to our Eagle family,” Padilla said. “I do not doubt that he has the experience, skills, and energy to take our Eagle Football program to soaring heights.

Penny has been a member of the NLMUSD family since he was a student and has returned as a contributor in our community. He is an example to our students of what they too can accomplish with focus, persistence, and humility. Penny is going to be an amazing Eagle.”

As a player at Norwalk, Penny was named to the All-CIF team after the 2010 season, graduated in 2011 and played his college ball at College of the Sequoias, Cerritos College and Idaho.

He had a six-year NFL career, playing for the Arizona Cardinals and NY Giants. Penny retired from the NFL in November of 2022.

It couldn’t be better timing for Glenn football, as the Eagles were 5-14 over the last two seasons.

While at Norwalk, Penny was a two-time Suburban League Player of the Year selection and named All-State as a senior, after rushing for 2,200 yards and 21 touchdowns.

As a junior he rushed for 1,652 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also played on defense and posted 11.5 quarterback sacks and picked off four passes. He also played on the basketball team and was on the track and field team.

A memorable game for Penny while at Norwalk was when he rushed for 335 yards and six touchdowns in a comeback win against Westminster High.

Penny’s younger brother, Rashaad Penny, is a running back for the Seattle Seahawks.

In his sophomore season at Cerritos, Penny rushed for 1,338 yards on 199 carries and scored a school record 20 touchdowns.

At Idaho, Elijhaa Penny played in 23 games (14 starts) in two seasons after transferring from Cerritos. He totaled 1,748 yards on the ground and 22 touchdowns on 385 carries with the Vandals. He also had 39 receptions for 346 yards and three touchdowns and returned 15 kickoffs for 278 yards.

Former Giants running back coach Burton Burns said of Penny to reporters in 2020, which was reported on GIANTSWIRE, an online Giants newsletter, “Eli has a great personality, he said. “He is infectious throughout the team. I think guys look up to him, he’s a go-getter. He’s got this attitude: ‘I’ll do whatever it takes’.

“I think the biggest thing with Eli, he’s got great leadership qualities. He’s got a great personality and the whole locker room loves Eli. Just because of his attitude and his desire to do the right thing for us to be successful.”

Words like those will carry Penny far in his position of a high school coach in the coming years.