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Q&A with Carson Palmer USC's Heisman-winning quarterback, and the top pick in this year's draft, is now with the Bengals in Kentucky at his first NFL training camp.Posted: Tuesday August 05, 2003 12:19 PM
SI: You said L.A. was too up-tempo for you. Does Cincinnati fit your speed better?
SI: Your Dad commuted from L.A. to New York during your high school days so you could play ball in California. What did that mean to you? Palmer: What my dad did was huge. It showed the commitment and love he had for me because he was away from his wife and family for so long. Look at him now: He's almost 60 years old going on 70 because the commuting definitely took a few years off his life. SI: Is it overwhelming to go from having a couple of dollars in your pocket as a college student to having income tax taken out of a $14 million bonus? Palmer: It's definitely different and I'm going to have to get used to it. But I am going to enjoy it. SI: Do you feel competitive with the other first-round quarterbacks such as Byron Leftwich and Kyle Boller? Palmer: Yeah, I think you compete with every quarterback in the league and you always want to see how other guys are doing, whether it's someone who is a part of your draft class or a guy that's been in the league for a while, such as Brett Favre. SI: What are your impressions of Marvin Lewis? Palmer: I like him a lot. I'm excited to play for him. He reminds me of my coach at USC, Pete Carroll. Lewis really loves the game, he's energetic and cares about his players. SI: You were 2 years old when the Bengals last made the Super Bowl. Have you ever seen that game in its entirety? Palmer: No, I haven't. I just remember shots of Boomer (Esiason) and Ickey (Woods) and the Ickey Shuffle and all that, but I've never seen the game. SI: Is it true that you can recite most of the dialogue from themovie Dumb and Dumber? Palmer: Yeah, my little brother and I are big comedy fans and we like movies such as Dumb and Dumber and Old School. We love talking about the funny scenes. SI: Your younger brother, Jordan, is a freshman quarterback at UTEP. Give us the scouting report. Palmer: I think he's going to be really good. He's a redshirt freshman with a lot to learn, but physically and mentally he can definitely get it done. I think he'll be a heck of a quarterback. SI: Has your older brother, Robert, ever taken any abuse for having the same name as pop singer Robert Palmer? Palmer: Yeah, especially when the singer did that commercial for Pepsi. Whenever my brother would call a company on the phone he'd say he was Robert Palmer and they'd ask ,'Are you the Robert Palmer?' And he'd always say, 'Yeah, I am.' SI: What is your favorite memory of college? Palmer: I think it was playing the in the Orange Bowl, being a senior and playing college football for the last time. Just being around all the buddies who I had spent so much time with was great. After we won the game, it was just the culmination of everything. We had done so much. I think that moment was something I'll never forget. SI: Do you have an idea what your biggest adjustment will be this season? Palmer: Yeah, I think it's going to be mastering the playbook. Just getting all the new terminology down, the protections, the routes, the formations. It's all pretty different than what I'm used to. SI: How is life as a newlywed treating you? Palmer: It's great. It's been fun. We're in the middle of trying to find a place to live and we're kind of bouncing back and forth between my parents' house and her friends' apartment. But it's been fun. SI: Your wife was a former goaltender on the USC soccer team. Have you ever taken a penalty kick against her? Palmer: I definitely have not because I don't like getting embarrassed. I can't let her beat me at anything. SI: Snoop Dogg honored you by wearing your No. 3 USC jersey. How's flattering is that? Palmer: He's a big USC fan and he had a cousin on the team. Snoop's cool. It is very flattering because he could wear anybody's jersey. I mean, he's Snoop Dogg. --Richard Deitsch Issue date: Aug. 4, 2002
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