Jesse Palmer
Encyclopedia
Jesse James Palmer is a Canadian-born sports commentator and former college and professional football
player who was a quarterback
in the National Football League
(NFL) for four seasons in the early 2000s. Palmer played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Giants
of the NFL before spending half a season in 2006 in the Canadian Football League
(CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes
. Palmer was cast in 2004 as the bachelor on the fifth season of the reality television series The Bachelor. He is now a college football
analyst for ESPN
/ABC
in the U.S. and a football analyst for TSN
in Canada.
, a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario. He attended St. Pius X High School
in Ottawa, Ontario. His father, Bill Palmer, played for the Ottawa Rough Riders
.
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1997 to 2000
. Palmer often alternated playing time with quarterback Doug Johnson, and later, with quarterback Rex Grossman
. Memorably, he connected with Bo Carroll on a 75-yard touchdown pass play, and rushed for four touchdowns against the Kentucky Wildcats
in 2000. As a senior, he was selected as one of the team captain
s and received the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award, recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage." He finished his four-year college career with 3,755 passing yards.
Palmer graduated from the University of Florida in 2001 with two undergraduate degree
s: a bachelor of arts
in political science
from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
, and a bachelor of science
in marketing
from the College of Business Administration.
, and he played for the Giants for four seasons from to . As a Giants quarterback, he spent most of his NFL career as a backup behind starter Kerry Collins
. After a four-year stint as a backup quarterback, Palmer was cut on September 2, 2005 by the Giants. Jesse Palmer was the second Canadian (behind Mark Rypien
of the Washington Redskins) to start at the quarterback position in the NFL.
for employment. His rights were held by the Montreal Alouettes
; however, the Ottawa Renegades
tried to acquire the Ottawa native as their top quarterback, and Palmer expressed interest in playing for his home town. Palmer's agent reportedly asked for a three year contract in the neighborhood of $660,000 per year, which would have made Jesse the highest paid player in the league. Attempting to locate another opportunity to stay in the NFL, Palmer worked out with the Minnesota Vikings
and Oakland Raiders
and was temporarily signed by the San Francisco 49ers
on November 1, 2005 as injuries plagued their quarterbacks Alex Smith
and Ken Dorsey
. Shortly after Dorsey and then Smith returned from injury Palmer was released, without playing a down.
Palmer was re-signed a few months later by the 49ers during the 2006 off-season but was later released on August 29, 2006 toward the end of training camp. On September 11, 2006, the Montreal Alouettes signed him to their developmental roster. Palmer did not dress for a game with Montreal. He retired from the CFL before the start of the 2007 season to pursue a broadcasting career.
for Fox
for two games late in the 2005 season, and returned to the booth on November 26, 2006. On April 25, 2007, Palmer appeared on the NFL Network
as an analyst and commentator for the weekend's NFL Draft
.
On May 24, 2007, Palmer announced his retirement from the Canadian Football League
to pursue a broadcasting career with Fox. Palmer currently works for ESPN as a studio analyst on College Football Live
and ABC telecasts, usually appearing with fellow Canadian John Saunders
. He is a game analyst on ESPN Thursday Night College football games
. He is also co-host on The Palmer and Pollack Show on ESPNU with former Georgia defensive end, David Pollack.
Palmer is also New York correspondent for CTV
's entertainment news program, eTalk
, covering both sports and entertainment events, including the Super Bowl
and the 79th
and 80th Academy Awards
.
Palmer was the studio analyst for ESPN's broadcast of the 2010 Fiesta Bowl in Glendale Arizona
Palmer also commentated on ESPN's 2009 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
He's also an NFL analyst for TSN's "Monday Morning Quarterback" segment.
Palmer guest starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
He also is the host of the food competition show Recipe To Riches debuting on Food Network Canada
in October 2011.
since 2005, in the same building as former Giants teammate Eli Manning
and the former Governor of New Jersey
, Jon Corzine
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for four seasons in the early 2000s. Palmer played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL before spending half a season in 2006 in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
. Palmer was cast in 2004 as the bachelor on the fifth season of the reality television series The Bachelor. He is now a college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
analyst for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
/ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the U.S. and a football analyst for TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
in Canada.
Early years
Palmer was born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in NepeanNepean, Ontario
- Recent quantity of snow :- History :Nepean Township, originally known as Township D, was established in 1792 and originally included what is now the central area of Ottawa west of the Rideau River. Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, is believed to have been the first person to settle in Nepean...
, a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario. He attended St. Pius X High School
St. Pius X High School (Ottawa)
St. Pius X High School is a Canadian secondary school founded in 1958 in Ottawa, Ontario. The school, operated by the publicly funded Ottawa Catholic School Board, teaches grades 9-12. Enrollment currently stands at around 1,100 students.-School shooting:...
in Ottawa, Ontario. His father, Bill Palmer, played for the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
.
College career
Palmer received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1997 to 2000
2000 Florida Gators football team
September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback...
. Palmer often alternated playing time with quarterback Doug Johnson, and later, with quarterback Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
. Memorably, he connected with Bo Carroll on a 75-yard touchdown pass play, and rushed for four touchdowns against the Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
in 2000. As a senior, he was selected as one of the team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
s and received the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award, recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage." He finished his four-year college career with 3,755 passing yards.
Palmer graduated from the University of Florida in 2001 with two undergraduate degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
s: a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the University of Florida's college for the liberal arts and sciences. and the largest of the university's 16 colleges. Most core curriculum classes and 42 majors and minors are part of the college...
, and a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
from the College of Business Administration.
NFL
Palmer was chosen by the New York Giants in the fourth round (125th overall pick) of the 2001 NFL Draft2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
, and he played for the Giants for four seasons from to . As a Giants quarterback, he spent most of his NFL career as a backup behind starter Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
. After a four-year stint as a backup quarterback, Palmer was cut on September 2, 2005 by the Giants. Jesse Palmer was the second Canadian (behind Mark Rypien
Mark Rypien
Mark Robert Rypien is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL.-Biography:...
of the Washington Redskins) to start at the quarterback position in the NFL.
CFL
At first, wanting to stay in the game, he looked to the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for employment. His rights were held by the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
; however, the Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...
tried to acquire the Ottawa native as their top quarterback, and Palmer expressed interest in playing for his home town. Palmer's agent reportedly asked for a three year contract in the neighborhood of $660,000 per year, which would have made Jesse the highest paid player in the league. Attempting to locate another opportunity to stay in the NFL, Palmer worked out with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was temporarily signed by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
on November 1, 2005 as injuries plagued their quarterbacks Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
and Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
. Shortly after Dorsey and then Smith returned from injury Palmer was released, without playing a down.
Palmer was re-signed a few months later by the 49ers during the 2006 off-season but was later released on August 29, 2006 toward the end of training camp. On September 11, 2006, the Montreal Alouettes signed him to their developmental roster. Palmer did not dress for a game with Montreal. He retired from the CFL before the start of the 2007 season to pursue a broadcasting career.
The Bachelor
In the spring of 2004, Palmer appeared on The Bachelor television program and he made himself the first non-American bachelor, in which he was given his choice of eligible single women. He accidentally forgot one woman's name during the first rose ceremony. He eventually selected Jessica Bowlin, but their courtship lasted for only a few months after the end of the show.Broadcasting career
Palmer was a color commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
for two games late in the 2005 season, and returned to the booth on November 26, 2006. On April 25, 2007, Palmer appeared on the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
as an analyst and commentator for the weekend's NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
.
On May 24, 2007, Palmer announced his retirement from the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
to pursue a broadcasting career with Fox. Palmer currently works for ESPN as a studio analyst on College Football Live
College Football Live
College Football Live is a show that airs weekdays on ESPN or ESPN2, and ESPNU. Its premiere was on Monday, July 23, 2007. Rece Davis is the lead host, but it also features ESPN college football analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Lou Holtz, Mark May, Desmond Howard, Bob Griese, and others...
and ABC telecasts, usually appearing with fellow Canadian John Saunders
John Saunders
John Saunders is a Canadian–American sports journalist from Toronto, Ontario. He is currently working for ESPN and ABC.-Early life and career:...
. He is a game analyst on ESPN Thursday Night College football games
ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime
ESPN College Football Primetime is a live game presentation of Division 1-A college football on ESPN. In the past, the presenting sponsor was Cooper Tires, but since the 2006 season, the current presenting sponsor is Applebee's. The game telecast airs every Thursday night at 7:45pm ET during the...
. He is also co-host on The Palmer and Pollack Show on ESPNU with former Georgia defensive end, David Pollack.
Palmer is also New York correspondent for CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
's entertainment news program, eTalk
ETalk
etalk is a Canadian entertainment news show hosted by Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim. It airs weekdays weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, at 1:30 p.m. ET on CTV Two and at 6 p.m. ET and 11:30 p.m. ET on E!...
, covering both sports and entertainment events, including the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
and the 79th
79th Academy Awards
The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , honored the best films of 2006 and took place on February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony for the first time. The producer was Laura Ziskin. The announcers were Don LaFontaine and Gina Tuttle.The nominees were...
and 80th Academy Awards
80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films in 2007 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 . During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 24...
.
Palmer was the studio analyst for ESPN's broadcast of the 2010 Fiesta Bowl in Glendale Arizona
Palmer also commentated on ESPN's 2009 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
He's also an NFL analyst for TSN's "Monday Morning Quarterback" segment.
Palmer guest starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
He also is the host of the food competition show Recipe To Riches debuting on Food Network Canada
Food Network Canada
Food Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel with programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. Food Network is a joint venture between Shaw Media, Corus Entertainment, and Scripps Networks Interactive....
in October 2011.
Personal
Palmer has lived in Hoboken, New JerseyHoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
since 2005, in the same building as former Giants teammate Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
and the former Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
, Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of New York Giants players
- List of University of Florida alumni