Michael Penix Jr.'s mom joins tailgating fans outside stadium ahead of son's debut

Michael Penix Jr.'s mother, Takisha Marie Penix, looked the proudest outside the bustling Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the Atlanta Falcons rookie QB is set to make his first NFL start against the New York Giants in Week 16.

His girlfriend, Olivia Carter, captured the heartwarming moment on her Instagram Story, sharing how Takisha unexpectedly became the star of the pregame tailgate.

Wearing her son's crimson No. 3 jersey with "Penix" emblazoned on the back, Takisha was introduced to the crowd by a fellow fan, receiving a warm reception.

"Important person to introduce and bless us with her presence. Does anybody know who this beautiful lady is?" the woman excitedly addressed the crowd.

She continued:

"Hey, listen. we wanted you to know that we are so excited to see your son take his first start. We love all of our players, and we're so excited to see him in action. 1, 2, 3! I have some more—show us some love!"

Earlier in the week, the Falcons announced that Penix would replace Kirk Cousins as the starting QB. For him, the stage couldn't be bigger because his opportunities were limited to only late-game scenarios until today. Now, the spotlight is squarely on him.

Atlanta Falcons HC has high faith in rookie QB Michael Penix Jr.

Showing a high amount of confidence in Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons coach, Raheem Morris, called him a player who “stays ready.”

"He's a young man I got a lot of confidence in if something were to happen for him to go in and execute what we got to get done because of what I see in practice," Morris told the media on Oct. 23. "So, (his debut) wasn't one of those things where I actually went over to him and said anything to him. I looked him in the eyes to see if he was ready. He was ready to go."

Penix Jr.'s collegiate career backs up the coach's faith.

As he gets ready to lead his team, the rookie quarterback has the support of his biggest fan, his mother.