David Lee Palmer (born November 19, 1972) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player who played as a wide receiver and

return specialist A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for seven seasons. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

, where he was an All-American and a member of Alabama's

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

team. A second-round pick in the

1994 NFL Draft The 1994 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1994, at the Marriott Mar ...

, he played professionally for the NFL's

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

Early years

Palmer was born in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

.National Football League, Historical Players
David Palmer
Retrieved February 12, 2012. He attended P.D. Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham,databaseFootball.com, Players
David Palmer
. Retrieved February 12, 2012. where he was the star quarterback and played a variety of other positions for the Mustang

high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...

team.

College career

While attending the University of Alabama, Palmer played for the

Alabama Crimson Tide football The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Asso ...

from 1991 to 1993, where he wore jersey No. 2 and earned the nickname "The Deuce." He was recruited to play wide receiver, but his athletic abilities permitted him to fill a variety of roles. He often took snaps directly under center and ran to the right side of the line, making him one of the first "wildcat" quarterbacks. Palmer became the team's first 1,000-yard receiver in a single season. Following his junior season, Palmer was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American and was a finalist for the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

, for which he finished third in the voting. He caught 102 passes in three seasons for 1,611 yards, a 15.8-yard average per attempt, with 11 touchdowns. He rushed 86 times for 598 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7 yards per carry. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 260 yards, an average of 13 yards per catch, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He returned 83 punts for 865 yards and four touchdowns and ran back 36 kickoffs for 841 yards. Due to an injury during the Iron Bowl, Palmer chose not to return to Tuscaloosa for his final season of college eligibility, and turned pro after the 1993 season.

Professional career

Palmer was a second-round pick (40th overall) for the

in the

.Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History
1994 National Football League Draft
Retrieved February 12, 2012. Palmer spent seven seasons (1994-2001) in the NFL, all with the Vikings.Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players

Retrieved February 12, 2012. His career highlights include leading the league in punt returns during the 1995 season. For his career he returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns, as well as one rushing and one receiving.

References

External links

David Palmer
– NFL profile {{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, David 1972 births Living people Alabama Crimson Tide football players All-American college football players American football return specialists American football wide receivers Minnesota Vikings players Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama