David Palmer Highlights. WOW, what a player

[Bamabuzzard]

Deuce was amazing. It was like trying to tackle water with him. He'd just get through somehow, some way. Playing on punt and kick coverage teams against him in HS was stressful to say the least...

His measurables were never great - 5'9" was generous, so was 170. In a track sprint, he wouldn't put up a great time - he wasn't slow, but lots of guys timed faster - I'd doubt he was top 10 on the bama teams he played on. He wasn't going to overpower anyone with strength. Throwing he never seemed to have the strongest arm or the fastest release.

Then he put on the pads and transformed. He'd see seams no one else could see, and his body control to get to the seam was like he was in the matrix. When called on to throw, somehow, more often than not, it just worked and, he got the ball where it was supposed to go - never enough to truly be 'the' QB, but as a change of pace thing was pretty good, especially for a guy who didn't really spend a lot of time working on that skillset.

He had quick, explosive bursts and explosive lateral movement that a lot of the time are more important than straight-line speed.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I agree we probably win the NC in 1994 with him, or at least go 13-0. Nebraska was going to win that NC because of Osborne. We would not have gotten a chance to face them. They were obligated to the Orange, us the Sugar.

I went back and did a little research of how the old Bowl Coalition worked. It was in place in 1992, 1993, and 1994. It did not include the Big Ten, Pac 10, and Rose Bowl, but did include the rest of the major conferences and bowls, and was the first attempt at getting a 1 vs. 2 championship game in one of the other major bowl games. The Bowl Alliance followed, still didn't include the Rose/Big Ten/Pac 10, and of course the BCS came in 1998.

Anyway, it is not clear to me how things would have worked if Alabama had beaten Florida in the SEC title game, and finished #2. It is also not clear to me whether we would have made it to #2 in the polls. Nebraska was #1. Penn State finished 11-0 and was a pretty clear #2 in all the polls. Obviously they were not going anywhere but Pasadena. But under the rules of the Bowl Coalition, while the SEC champ was obligated to the Sugar, Big 8 champ to the Orange, and SWC champ to the Cotton, if two of those teams finished 1/2, they would have been released from their contractual obligations to face one another in either the Sugar, Orange, or Cotton.

My question is, what if Alabama had beaten Florida, but remained behind Penn State? The rankings would have been 1. Nebraska, 2. Penn State, and 3. Alabama. Would the Sugar have released Alabama to play Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for a potential de facto NC game? Another consideration: most of the New Year's Day bowl games were played on January 2nd that season due to the 1st falling on a Sunday. But the Orange Bowl was not. The Rose Bowl was.

I didn't mean to derail too much. David Palmer going pro and not being there in 1994 is one of the major what ifs of all time, IMO, in Alabama history. It seems nothing would have mattered due to the Nebraska/Penn State situation and how the bowls were set up back then. But Palmer would have made that offense much more dynamic and probably would have given Alabama more respect in the polls against the Osborne/Nebraska, Paterno/Penn State effect. We would have beaten Florida in that SEC title game, and may have even had a few #1 votes.

 

[davefrat]

Barker was tossing some dimes in those clips as well.

 

[tideindc]

Thx for posting these highlights. Palmer was not only great, but sooo fun to watch!
No idea why, but for some reason he doesn’t seem to come up much, in discussions about the all time best Tide players. He certainly was.

 

[mdb-tpet]

Thx for posting these highlights. Palmer was not only great, but sooo fun to watch!
No idea why, but for some reason he doesn’t seem to come up much, in discussions about the all time best Tide players. He certainly was.

I felt back then that when David Palmer got the ball, too many of our players just stopped putting 100% effort in and kinda watched. It was if he was the only real player on the field for too many plays. He was electric, but then the rest of the team didn't put enough effort in when he wasn't making highlight films.

 

[TiderJack]

Watching that tape I saw Devonte Smith. Not the biggest or fastest but so smooth and effortless. They don't telegraph what move they are going to do. Lol at the belly flop attempted tackles.

Palmer was not as fast as Devonta but made up for it in quickness, vision and cuts. If he had elite speed he would have won the Heisman and been a NFL HOFer. Amazing talent.

 

[Rockettman]

Palmer was not as fast as Devonta but made up for it in quickness, vision and cuts. If he had elite speed he would have won the Heisman and been a NFL HOFer. Amazing talent.

I agree if he had elite speed. I don't ever recall seeing his actual 40 time, but I bet it was around a 4.6 or so or maybe high 4.5's at best.

 

[davefrat]

I agree if he had elite speed. I don't ever recall seeing his actual 40 time, but I bet it was around a 4.6 or so or maybe high 4.5's at best.

Back in those days, 4.5 was considered pretty fast.

I just looked at stats from the 1990-92 NFL combine and a 4.5 would be right around the top 10-15 fastest players clocked in those drafts.

 

[BamaMoon]

Not the fastest. Even in these career plays, he got caught from behind a few times. But man he could see lanes and holes on those punt returns as good as anybody!

 

[TideEngineer08]

One of my favorite plays from those days, when Mal Moore was the OC, was that end around that would start with a toss to the TB, usually Lassic, who would head off tackle with Palmer coming back from his WR position. Lassic would often hand it to him and Palmer would break a big run.

I miss those days with a fullback, I-formation, off-tackle plays, etc.

 

[dtgreg]

I don't know that Palmer NEVER had elite speed. It seemed he was one of the two fastest on the team as a Freshman. He had an injury and after, while he never lost his quickness, it seemed as if he lost a step.

 

[TexasBama]

If he had come back in ‘94 he might have won the Heisman with the Sr version of Barker throwing to him.

He would have been worth two points against Florida.

he played QB when Barker was hurt (vs USM?)

 

[AlistarWills]

I have a couple of $2 bills signed by The Deuce. Got them under the stadium as he left pregame warmups at Legion Field.

 

[TideEngineer08]

He would have been worth two points against Florida.

he played QB when Barker was hurt (vs USM?)

During the 1993 season he did. He played nearly the entire game in the loss to LSU. I can't remember the details. Was Barker hurt in the prior game and then Burgdorf did not do well in the start against LSU, thus having Palmer come in and try to save the day (which he nearly did)? Or was Barker hurt in the LSU game?

Burgdorf started the Gator Bowl after that season and had a great game.

 

[Countrytider2]

Palmer was great. Can’t sleep on Javier Arenas either…I think by far the 2 best return men ever.

Palmer was probably a better “do it all” guy, but dang Arenas was good too.

 

[gtgilbert]

I don't know that Palmer NEVER had elite speed. It seemed he was one of the two fastest on the team as a Freshman. He had an injury and after, while he never lost his quickness, it seemed as if he lost a step.

He wasn't slow, but teague, langham, k Lee, C Anderson, S Shade, T Johnson and M Conn were all faster and S williams was right there with palmer if not a slight step ahead. R Colborn might have been up there also, Rick Brown was also pretty fast.

That's all without pads on at least...

what set palmer apart was he could be running full tilt one direction, and seemingly do a jump cut, or pretty significant change of direction that no one could predict and somehow seem like he never slowed down and be running away from everyone in another direction while they were still chasing where they thought he was going before he made the cut.

 

[day-day]

During the 1993 season he did. He played nearly the entire game in the loss to LSU. I can't remember the details. Was Barker hurt in the prior game and then Burgdorf did not do well in the start against LSU, thus having Palmer come in and try to save the day (which he nearly did)? Or was Barker hurt in the LSU game?

Burgdorf started the Gator Bowl after that season and had a great game.

Barker was out with injury; Burgdorf and Kitchens played quarterback against LSU in 93. Palmer took over the role in the 4th quarter when Bama was down 14-0 and ended up losing 17-13.

 

[BhamToTexas]

I remember I couldn’t wait to watch the HS highlights on the news Friday night to see what he did at JO that night.

 

[TiderJack]

I remember I couldn’t wait to watch the HS highlights on the news Friday night to see what he did at JO that night.

Me too. I remember one play in particular. I think they were playing Parker and the Deuce was taking a punt down the sideline to the house and three Parker players had an angle on him as he approached the 5 yard line full speed. He stopped on a dime, all three Parker players went flying by out of bounds and the Deuce walked into the end zone. The most ridiculous thing I had ever seen.

 

[TiderJack]

Palmer was great. Can’t sleep on Javier Arenas either…I think by far the 2 best return men ever.

Palmer was probably a better “do it all” guy, but dang Arenas was good too.

Javy was awesome and one of my favorite players. Can't sleep on Eddie Jackson either.