Jesse Palmer

For the Australian rules footballer, see Jesse Palmer (Australian footballer).

Jesse Palmer

Palmer in November 2010
No. 3
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1978-10-05) October 5, 1978 (age 46) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	St. Pius X (Ottawa, Ontario)
College:	Florida (1997–2000)
NFL draft:	2001 / round: 4 / pick: 125
CFL draft:	2001 / round: 2 / pick: 15
Career history
New York Giants (2001–2004) San Francisco 49ers (2005); (2006)* Montreal Alouettes (2006)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Pass attempts: 120 Completions: 63 Passing yards: 562 TD–INT: 3–4 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jesse James Palmer (born October 5, 1978)^[1] is a Canadian television personality, sports commentator, and former professional football player who was a quarterback for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) in the early 2000s. Palmer played college football for the Florida Gators under coach Steve Spurrier, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the NFL before spending half of the 2006 season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Palmer was cast in 2004 as the Bachelor on the fifth season of the reality television series The Bachelor. He went on to become a college football analyst for ESPN/ABC in the United States,^[2] and has been a contributor to The Sports Network (TSN) in Canada.^[3] He was also a contributor to ABC's Good Morning America. In 2018, he hosted the kickoff season of The Proposal on ABC. Since 2017, he has hosted the Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. He was host of DailyMailTV from 2017 to 2020. In 2021, Palmer was named as the permanent host of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.^[2]

Early life

Palmer was born in Toronto, Ontario,^[4] and raised in Nepean, Ontario, a suburb of Ottawa. He attended both Confederation and St. Pius X high schools, although he played all of his amateur football on teams in the Ontario Minor Football Association and most importantly with the Ottawa Norsemen and Myers Riders Football Clubs in Ottawa.^[5]

His father, Bill Palmer, played seven years for the Ottawa Rough Riders.^[6] His mother, Susan, was a prominent fashion and print model, co-founder of Barrett Palmer Models and former owner of International Top Models, a modeling agency and training centre located in Ottawa which became MIM Model International Management.^[7]

He has two younger brothers and attended a French-immersion school.^[8] His brother Billy played tight end for the University of Notre Dame.^[6] His cousin, Griffen Palmer is a country music singer and songwriter.^[9]

College career

Palmer accepted an athletic scholarship 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.^[10]

Palmer often alternated playing time with quarterback Doug Johnson, and, later, with quarterback Rex Grossman. As a senior, he was selected as one of the team captains 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.^[10]

Palmer graduated from the University of Florida in 2001 with two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the College of Business Administration. He was named to the Southeastern Conference’s academic honor roll in 1998, 1999 and 2000.^[2]

Professional football career

National Football League

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Wonderlic
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	231 lb (105 kg)	31+1⁄2 in (0.80 m)	9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m)	4.78 s	1.68 s	2.77 s	4.29 s	7.13 s	35.5 in (0.90 m)	9 ft 4 in (2.84 m)	32[11]
All values from NFL Combine[12][13]

Palmer was selected by the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round (125th overall pick) of the 2001 NFL draft,^[14] and he played for the Giants from 2001 until he was cut before the start of the 2005 season.^[15] As a Giants quarterback, he spent most of his NFL career as a backup behind starter Kerry Collins.^[16] In 2002, Palmer played in two games. The following season, Palmer played in six games, starting three.^[15] Palmer was the second Canadian (after Mark Rypien of the Washington Redskins) to start at quarterback in the NFL.^[17]

After a four-year stint as a backup quarterback, he was cut on September 3, 2005, by the Giants. He had entered the summer 2005 training camp as the backup to Eli Manning, but found himself odd-man-out when the Giants went with Tim Hasselbeck at number two and Jared Lorenzen at number three QB.^[18]

Attempting to locate another opportunity to stay in the NFL, Palmer worked out with the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers on November 1, 2005, as injuries plagued their quarterbacks Alex Smith and Ken Dorsey.^[17][19] Dorsey and Smith returned from injury three weeks later, and Palmer was released without having played a down.^[20] Palmer was re-signed by the 49ers in March 2006 during the off-season, but was released on August 29, 2006, toward the end of training camp.^[20][21]

Canadian Football League

After leaving the NFL, he looked to the Canadian Football League for employment. Palmer had been drafted 15th overall by the Montreal Alouettes in the 2001 CFL Draft.^[22] His rights were still held by Montreal; however, the Ottawa Renegades tried to acquire the Ottawa native as their top quarterback in September 2005, and Palmer expressed interest in playing for his home town.^[23]

On September 11, 2006, the Montreal Alouettes signed him to their developmental roster.^[22] 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.^[24]

The Bachelor

Main article: The Bachelor (American season 5)

In 2004, Palmer was the first professional athlete to appear on The Bachelor television program and the first non-American Bachelor. During the first rose ceremony, Palmer called the name Katie in error, meaning to say Karen. After consulting with host Chris Harrison, Palmer offered a rose to both contestants.^[25] He eventually selected Jessica Bowlin, but their courtship lasted for only a few months after the end of the show.^[26][27] He would return as host of the 26th season, a role which he also filled on the 19th season of The Bachelorette.^[28] Palmer also hosted Bachelor In Paradise, Season 8.^[29] He is currently host of The Bachelor franchises.^[30] This includes The Golden Bachelor, the first season of which aired in Fall of 2023.

Broadcasting career

Palmer's broadcast career began with Fox Sports Net analyzing Arena Football League games. He was later a game and studio analyst for CSTV in late 2005 and worked NFL games for Fox in 2006. He also appeared on the NFL Network and the MSG Network.^[2]

Palmer was a color commentator for Fox for two games late in the 2005 season, and returned to the booth on November 26, 2006.^{[citation needed]} On April 25, 2007, Palmer appeared on the NFL Network as an analyst and commentator for the weekend's NFL Draft.^{[citation needed]}

On May 24, 2007, Palmer announced his retirement from the Canadian Football League to pursue a broadcasting career with Fox.^[31] He joined ESPN in 2007.^[32] Palmer worked for ESPN as a studio analyst on College Football Live and ABC telecasts, and frequently appeared with fellow Canadian John Saunders until 2017.^[32] He was a game analyst on ESPN Thursday Night College football games. He was also co-host on The Palmer and Pollack Show on ESPNU with former Georgia defensive end, David Pollack.^[32][33]

On March 12, 2014, ESPN named Palmer and Brent Musburger as the lead game announcers for the forthcoming SEC Network.^[34]

Palmer was 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.^[35]

Palmer was a studio analyst for ESPN's broadcast of the 2012 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, the 2010 Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, and the 2009 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.^{[citation needed]} He was the ESPN analyst for the 2023 Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida.He is also an NFL analyst for TSN's "Monday Morning Quarterback" segment.^[36]

Palmer guest starred in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 7 episode "Design," portraying professional baseball player Don Lacey. He hosted the first two seasons of the food competition show Recipe to Riches on Food Network Canada.^[37] On May 19, 2015, Palmer joined Good Morning America as a "Special Contributor". He left the position in August 2017, to host the newly launched DailyMailTV.^[38] He began hosting Spring Baking Championship in 2023 and has been hosting the Holiday Baking Championship for several seasons on Food Network,^[39] as well as Food Truck Face Off, Bakeaway Camp,^[40] and Holiday Baking: Gingerbread Showdown.^[41] In 2019, he became one of the commentators on ESPN's College Football Final.

In September 2018, Palmer began doing commercials as a spokesman for retail furniture chain Rooms To Go.^[42] He also became host of The Proposal on ABC.

On August 14, 2020, the producers of DailyMailTV announced that for the show's fourth season, Thomas Roberts was replacing Palmer.^[43]

In 2021, Palmer hosted the inaugural season of ABC's show The Ultimate Surfer. Subsequently, it was announced that he would become the new host of The Bachelor, Season 26, replacing Chris Harrison.^[44] He then hosted The Bachelorette,^[45] Season 19, and Bachelor In Paradise, Season 8.^[29] He is currently host of The Bachelor franchises.^[30]

In October 2023, he became the spokesman for Avocados from Mexico.^[46]

Personal life

Palmer is married to Brazilian photographer and model Emely Fardo. They met in a boxing class in 2017 and married in Connecticut in 2020. After pandemic restrictions eased, they had a second wedding at Château De La Gaude, a luxury hotel in Aix-en-Provence, France in 2022. Their daughter Ella was born in January 2024.^[47]

See also

• Florida Gators football, 1990–99
• List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
• List of New York Giants players
• List of University of Florida alumni

References

1. "Jesse Palmer". National Football League. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
2. "Jesse Palmer: College Football Analyst". ESPN. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
3. "[Columns by Jesse Palmer]". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013.
4. Jesse Palmer profile, pro-football-reference.com; retrieved March 18, 2011.
5. Jesse Palmer profile Archived May 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, databaseFootball.com; retrieved March 18, 2011.
6. "Notre Dame's Bachelor On The Gridiron". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. September 24, 2004. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
7. MIM Models International Management
8. Williams, Justin. "After the Final Rose: Jesse Palmer's unlikely journey from Canadian QB to American TV star". The Athletic. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
9. Palinkas, Lorianne (February 1, 2023). "Jesse Palmer Reveals Cousin Griffen Palmer Will Perform On The Bachelor". Screen Rant. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
10. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 98, 99, 103, 125, 136, 138–139, 142, 144, 148, 152, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
11. "Jesse Palmer's Wonderlic Test Score". footballiqscore.com. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
12. "Jesse Palmer, Florida, QB, 2001 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
13. "Jesse Palmer, Combine Results, QB - Florida". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
14. "2001 National Football League Draft". profootballhof.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
15. "Jesse Palmer, QB". nfl.com. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
16. "For now, it's 'The Bachelor' at quarterback for the Giants". ESPN. The Associated Press. June 7, 2004. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
17. Patton, John (April 15, 2011). "Florida Gator Quarterbacks Through the Years". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
18. Bautista, Judy (September 4, 2005). "Giants Settle on Quarterbacks, and Palmer Is Odd Man Out". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
19. Phillips, Roger (November 3, 2005). "TV-hottie Palmer begins date with 49ers". East Bay Times. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
20. Pasquarelli, Len (August 29, 2006). "49ers dump 'Bachelor' Palmer, claim QB Hamdan". ESPN. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
21. "Jesse Palmer catches on as sports and ETalk reporter". The Hamilton Spectator. August 31, 2007. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
22. "Jesse Palmer Joins Alouettes" (Press release). Canadian Football League. September 11, 2006. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
23. Naylor, David (September 12, 2005). "Ottawa in talks to sign ex-NFL pivot Palmer". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
24. "Jesse Palmer says goodbye to CFL". CBC News. May 24, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
25. "ABC Home Page". ABC. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
26. "How Long Did Every 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' Couple Stay Together After the Finale?". Us Weekly. May 15, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
27. Main, Sami (September 18, 2017). "Jesse Palmer Parlays NFL and Bachelor Fame Into Entertainment and News Gigs". adweek.com. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
28. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (September 28, 2021). "Jesse Palmer Named New Host of 'The Bachelor'". Variety. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
29. Rice, Lynette (May 17, 2022). "Jesse Palmer Takes Over Hosting Duties on 'Bachelor In Paradise'". Deadline. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
30. "Former QB Jesse Palmer is 'trying not to get sacked' as host of 'The Bachelor' franchise". New York Post. September 10, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
31. "Jesse Palmer announces retirement". yahoo.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
32. McCarthy, Michael (June 19, 2017). "SN exclusive: Jesse Palmer re-signs with ESPN after bidding war with Fox". sportingnews.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
33. Blackburn, Gracie (August 11, 2011). "ESPNU Announces New Palmer & Pollack Studio Show". Retrieved December 18, 2017.
34. "Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer lead SEC team". ESPN.com. March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
35. "Palmer profile". CTV.ca. Archived from the original on January 18, 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
36. "TSN Talent - Jesse Palmer". TSN/Bell Media. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
37. "'Recipe to Riches': CBC Names Carlo Rota As Hit Culinary Show's New Host". Huffington Post Canada. The Canadian Press. June 20, 2013. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
38. Boedeker, Hal (August 14, 2017). "Jesse Palmer leaving 'GMA' to host 'DailyMailTV'". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
39. "Jesse Palmer". FoodNetwork.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
40. Feldman, Kate (May 11, 2020). "Jesse Palmer and Martha Stewart serve up your new quarantine baking competition show with 'Bakeaway Camp'". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
41. Holiday Baking Championship Gingerbread Showdown (Game-Show), Sonic Dog, November 15, 2021, retrieved October 21, 2022
42. "Rooms to Go TV Spot, 'Total Commitment' Featuring Jesse Palmer". ispot.tv. February 25, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
43. "Thomas Roberts Announced as Host of 'DailyMailTV' Show | Entertainment Tonight".
44. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (September 28, 2021). "Jesse Palmer Named New Host of 'The Bachelor'". Variety. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
45. Macke, Johnni (March 22, 2022). "Why 'The Bachelorette' Replaced Cohosts Kaitlyn and Tayshia With Jesse". Us Weekly. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
46. "Why 'Bachelor' Host and Game Analyst Jesse Palmer Likes to Grocery Shop". Progressive Grocer. October 12, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
47. "Who is Jesse Palmer's Wife? All About Emely Fardo".

External links

• Jesse Palmer – Florida Gators player profile
• Jesse Palmer at IMDb