Penny Hart
Wide Receiver
Georgia State
Alex Khvatov: Where are you currently training for the NFL Draft?
Penny Hart: I trained at Michael Johnson Performance in McKinney, Texas. Now I am back in Atlanta. I am working out at the school and getting back into football shape.
Alex Khvatov: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
Penny Hart: 5’8, 180 pounds and my range was a 4.6/4.7 forty at the pro day despite the circumstances that I have been dealing with.
Alex Khvatov: Tell us about your Pro Day.
Penny Hart: I have been dealing with back pain since the Senior Bowl. The pain never went away. I did the vert and the broad. I can feel my back when I jumped the vert. I thought that the pain would decrease. I gave it all I had. After running the 40, I had to back off. I had to stop the workout at the pro day. I did everything I could to get ready and get my body to perform. But the timing was off.
Alex Khvatov: When did you start dealing with this back issue?
Penny Hart: After the second day at the Senior Bowl practice, I was running around and I felt my back tighten up. I thought that it was just from running around a lot. I pushed through. I did what I had to do. I woke up one of those mornings, and it turned from tightness to sharp pain. Doctors don’t know what’s going on. The X-rays are clean. A lot of time has gone by, I still don’t understand what’s going on. It is a mystery right now.
Alex Khvatov: What is your recovery process right now?
Penny Hart: I was doing the recovery process at Michael Johnson’s facility. Some weeks, my back felt better. I was still preparing for the pro day even though I was going through some pain. I was doing conditioning, lifting and doing bike work. I feel better right now ever since I have been in Atlanta than I did last Friday at the pro day.
Alex Khvatov: Do you have any visits set up with NFL teams?
Penny Hart: I got visits with teams going in April. I don’t plan on physically working out with them. I need to get my health together. I put the film out there. I feel more than confident that I will get drafted and live out my dream. I am preparing my body for the rookie minicamp.
Alex Khvatov: Did you feel that you got snubbed when you didn’t get an invite to the Scouting Combine?
Penny Hart: It is not the first time I got snubbed. I take it for what it is. I continue to work. It is not my first rodeo as far as being overlooked.
Alex Khvatov: How would you describe your Senior Bowl experience?
Penny Hart: I was great to see the whole process. I learned how to deal with the media and interviewed with teams. On top of playing football and performing, it was an amazing experience. You are going up against the top seniors in the country. I enjoyed it.
Alex Khvatov: What is the biggest thing that you will take away from that all-star game experience?
Penny Hart: There are lots of people that prepare really well. Being a pro is not just what you do on the field. You are a professional every moment and every second of your life now.
Alex Khvatov: You had a great week of practice at the Senior Bowl. What do you attribute that to?
Penny Hart: I continued to do what I have always done. I prepared for it. My expectations are higher than anyone else. I will always fight through and do what I have to do. I had expectations in my own mind. This is a long process. There aren’t a lot of people who are in the midst of going after their dreams. You have to always push through.
Alex Khvatov: Who was the best player that you faced in Mobile?
Penny Hart: Adderley from Delaware and the DB from Maryland (Darnell Savage). They were really good players. Their knowledge of the game was great and you can see how they prepared themselves.
Alex Khvatov: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?
Penny Hart: Georgia State coach Luke Huard came up to my school during my junior year. He wanted to see me at their camp. I wasn’t thinking about Georgia State. I wanted to go to Georgia. But I attended their camp.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you choose Georgia State?
Penny Hart: No other schools offered me. Georgia State offered me that day at their camp.
Alex Khvatov: What are your strengths?
Penny Hart: The biggest thing is I want to be great. I want to be the best. I am always working on my craft. I am working on my weaknesses and every aspect of my game. I have great people around me. I am working on my route running.
Alex Khvatov: Describe your overall career.
Penny Hart: I became Freshman All-American my first year. I set the freshmen receiving records at Georgia State. It was an amazing season. QB Nick Arbuckle showed me how to watch film and how to run certain routes. He played a big role in expanding my IQ and the knowledge of the game. We got to our first bowl game in school history. We had to win four straight games in order to make to a bowl game. We beat Georgia Southern 35-7. They had a great team that year. We made history for our program. My sophomore year, I broke my foot and didn’t play that year. I led from the sidelines and helped my teammates. I understood that football is not always going to be there. During my redshirt sophomore year, we won the bowl game. We made history. During my redshirt junior year, I became a more complete receiver. I blocked more and caught less balls. I learned how I had to prepare. I was being there for my team. I understood what I was supposed to do even when I wasn’t getting the ball.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you decide to forgo your senior year at Georgia State?
Penny Hart: I felt it was time for something new in my life. I have outgrown college a little bit. I am 22 years old. There is no time like the present. I graduated and I wanted to take the next step, not only in football, but in my life. I have done everything that I was supposed to do. I had four amazing years even though I didn’t play one year.
Alex Khvatov: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
Penny Hart: My freshman year, we were 2-6. We had a team meeting. We were about to play Texas State. Our coach asked us, what are you guys playing for. There is something more. You have to truly give it your all. We looked at each other, and some guys stood up. Everybody understood where we needed to go. We won the last four games and got to our first bowl game. We were able to overcome adversity and fought through. It taught us a lot. You always have to push forward.
Alex Khvatov: What is your biggest accomplishment in college that you are most proud of?
Penny Hart: Graduating. It is not easy being an athlete. You have to juggle so many things. I am proud that I graduated in religious studies.
Alex Khvatov: What have you learned the most from your coaching staff?
Penny Hart: No matter what, keep fighting and grinding.
Alex Khvatov: What is your favorite NFL team?
Penny Hart: I don’t have a favorite team. I love the craft of football.
Alex Khvatov: Who is your favorite NFL player?
Penny Hart: I loved to watch Andrew Hawkins. He was a smaller receiver like me. I admired him at a young age. I admired his route running. He worked hard to make the jump from Canadian league to the NFL. It motivated me. I look at Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Michael Thomas and Brandin Cooks.
Alex Khvatov: What is the most important trait for a WR?
Penny Hart: Understanding the craft of separation. You have to understand leverage and look at cornerbacks’ feet. You have to be crafty and manipulate defensive backs. A corner doesn’t know what you are doing, but you do.
Alex Khvatov: Before the ball is snapped, what are the tendencies that you are looking for from the defense?
Penny Hart: I am looking at the CB’s feet. What foot is forward. I look at where the safeties are aligned. I look at linebackers’ leverage and coverage. I watch a lot of film and their tendencies. I know what the corners tendencies will be and whether he is aggressive or not.
Alex Khvatov: What players on your team should we keep an eye on for next season?
Penny Hart: Cornelius McCoy, he was a freshman receiver last year. He has amazing feet. He is a naturally born receiver. He is a great route runner. He will have an amazing season. Our QB Dan Ellington is amazingly athletic. He is extremely accurate. He will be more comfortable this year. Keep an eye on my best friend from middle school, safety Remy Lazarus. He is smart and he understands what the game brings.
Alex Khvatov: Who is the best player that you have faced on an opposing team?
Penny Hart: Georgia Southern CB Kindle Vildor is a physical player with good feet. He plays with a high motor and has good coverage skills. In the Sun Belt, I didn’t see that from a lot of corners. He was aggressive and had good feet. He wasn’t afraid to get in your face. He would try to overpower you and still move his feet. He is a good player.
Alex Khvatov: What do you enjoy most about football?
Penny Hart: Football brings the best out of you. You learn so many different things.
Alex Khvatov: What is your definition of a leader?
Penny Hart: I was a captain in 2017 and 2018. Someone who influences everyone in the right away on and of the field.
Alex Khvatov: What are your hobbies?
Penny Hart: I like to play 2K, relaxing and being around family.
Alex Khvatov: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
Penny Hart: I want to coach. My coach always told me that I would get into coaching. Time went on, and it became more and more true. I definitely wasn’t to do it at the high school level.
Alex Khvatov: What five words best describe you?
Penny Hart: Tough, passionate, consistent, influential and a leader.
