Carson Palmer

With the Cincinnati Bengals having been far from ferocious (some might even describe them as de-clawed) for well over a decade, Ohio was thrilled to discover, with the arrival of Carson Palmer, that they actually had an NFL team. What may have been new to Ohio was already well known in California and throughout PAC-10 football—Carson Palmer is no ordinary quarterback. With the height, poise, athleticism and power of former Rams great Kurt Warner, Carson Palmer was catching the eye of recruiters at a very young age with his ability to fire deep passes with startling accuracy. Carson Palmer was born December 27, 1979 in California, and by the time he finished high school was benefiting from one-on-one professional quarterback coaching.

The investment paid off and by the time Palmer entered USC to play for the Trojans as their first freshman quarterback his on-the-field skills were up to par. Famously behind the curve was his ability to read defense and interpret play calls from the sideline. And despite his relatively large build for a quarterback, his willingness to scramble when needed or take a hit in the pocket in order to complete a pass brought on an early injury—a broken collarbone. Injuries have proven to be the only thing to slow this quarterback down in his NFL career as well (a knee injury kept him sidelined for several games).

But when Carson Palmer left USC he had secured a Heisman trophy, valuable MVP awards, and was quickly snapped up by the Bengals as the first pick of the 2003 draft. He didn’t see any play action his first season, but gained a valuable education from then-starter Jon Kitna. Taking over as quarterback, he held the Bengals fast to their recent improvement of their season’s record, and in his second season led them to a surprising appearance in the playoffs. Still a young quarterback, Carson Palmer is one of the most exciting developments in NFL football.