"I've got a PhD in football," said Palmer, 44, who retired in early 2018 after 15 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals. "You do anything for 10,000 hours and you become an expert, and I've got tens of thousands of hours, seven different offenses, seen every defense, played for great coordinators and learned from them. That's what I bring, the knowledge of the game."
He's quick to point out these aren't original thoughts. He's drawing from what he learned from coaches such as Pete Carroll, Marvin Lewis, Norm Chow, Bruce Arians, Mike Zimmer, Paul Hackett and dozens of others to formulate his philosophies.
"I was in offensive meetings my senior year at SC with Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin. We would draw up plays and talk about stuff that wasn't even in the game plan, and we were playing in two days. I was just learning football."
Palmer is joining the Trinity League, which includes football powerhouses such as Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, easily among the most competitive high school leagues in the country. Finding players who fit the athletic and academic profile won't be a simple task amid the lofty expectations.
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