They will all embark on a new experience in the fall — Saturday Night Lights.
Bailey, Nguyen, Notley and Washington signed their letters of intent to play for the UTPB during national signing day on Wednesday at the Permian High School library.
“It’s the new Saturday Night Lights,” said Notley, who is a 6-foot-1, 255-pound offensive lineman. “It’s the new football in Odessa. I’m really excited about that.”
The Panthers had eight players put ink to their respective futures on national signing day.
Nguyen, who led the Panthers in tackles for back-to-back seasons, said it was more comforting having plenty family, friends and teammates there to support everyone that was signing.
In his senior season Nguyen supplied 72 solo tackles, 92 assisted tackles, five interceptions, four pass breakups, three sacks and three tackles for a loss. He received Class 6A all-state honorable mention for his efforts. Nguyen was also named All-Permian Basin Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 a Class 6A second-team all-state linebacker.
“It was nerve-wracking, but it wasn’t a bad nerve-wracking, it was an exciting nerve-wracking,” said Nguyen, a 5-11, 190-pound linebacker. “It will a lot easier. Having a lot of teammates from Permian going to UTPB and knowing a lot of UTPB players it will be easier to bond with the team better. We will push each other more, because we all know our expectations. It will just help us out in the long run.”
Nguyen was convinced to sign with the Falcons almost from the start. It also didn’t hurt UTPB’s campus is three miles away from Permian High School.
“The coaches (at UTPB) are incredible,” Nguyen said. “I already knew most of the players, so we had good communication and good bonding. It just feels like home.”
Bailey ended his high school career has one of the top rushers in Permian history.
The 5-8, 180-pound running back supplied 2,027 rushing yards with 28 touchdowns during his senior season, which garnered him Class 6A first-team all-state, first-team District 3-6A and All-Permian Basin Player of the Year honors. He was the first 2,000-yard rusher for the Panthers since 2008. Bailey averaged 7.9 yards per carry. He also caught eight passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
For his career, Bailey has the most all-purpose touchdowns (57). He ranks second in rushing yards (4,383), total offense and tandem offense (4,734). Bailey hoped the chance to play at the collegiate level and it’s a little more special that he can play for his hometown.
“I get to come back and play for my home crowd,” Bailey said with a smile. “Bringing in a new football team, we get to add in more fans to the fan base it already has.”
Notley was part of the offensive line that helped Bailey rush for more than 2,000 yards.
The guard finished his senior season with 38 cut blocks, 13 pancakes and 13 knockdowns. Notley, who was a first-team District 3-6A offensive line, said there a couple nerves prior to signing day, but those quickly faded away and he is ready to start his journey at UTPB.
“It was about building this program up,” Notley said. “It was about building a legacy. It is about watching it grow and be a successful program. I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to part of the foundation of the UTPB football program.”
Washington — 5-9, 182-pound linebacker — said it’s exciting to be part of the first official recruiting class for UTPB. Washington finished his senior season with 47 solo tackles, 45 assisted tackles, five sacks, four pass breakups, three tackles for a loss, one interception and one forced fumble.
On Wednesday morning, Washington signed, but wasn’t on the UTPB’s national signing day list due to a paperwork issue according to his father Vance — the defensive coordinator for the Panthers.
“We got to go through tradition here at Permian and there we are going to start the tradition at UTPB,” Robby Washington said. “That’s amazing to be able to do something like that.”
Since UTPB didn’t play a game in the fall, UTPB head coach Justin Carrigan and the rest of his coaching staff spent plenty of hours watching Permian and the surrounding schools.
Carrigan and his coaching staff attended every Permian home game. They also stood on the sidelines to watch the Panthers on John Wilkins practice field.
“To go watch them as many times as we did throughout the fall, Coach (Blake) Feldt runs a tremendous program and those kids come with a very businesslike work ethic every single day on the practice field,” Carrigan said. “The intensity that they practiced with you could see was so contagious. The demand that the seniors had on the younger guys to bring their all every single day, every single rep. It didn’t take long to see that I needed those guys in this program.”
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