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throughout the mid-Atlantic, including North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke. But there was a stumbling block that kept those schools from pursuing him aggressively: academics. "The 2rst thing they always asked was about my GPA. That's where the conver- sation started, and, unfortunately, that's basically where it ended," he said. "That was on me." Even with the academic issues, Palmer received an FBS o3er when East Carolina invited him to enroll as a preferred walk- on. He wouldn't receive a scholarship ini- tially, but he was con2dent that he could earn one in time. It seemed like a good opportunity. But he had decided to play one last season of high school basketball, and mid- way through the year, he fell awkwardly during a game and felt a popping sensation in his le5 knee. Palmer knew it wasn't good, but the diagnosis turned out to be even worse than he expected: He had torn his anterior cruciate ligament. It was the end of his high school sports career, and also his relationship with East Carolina. "A5er I tore that, I heard nothing from them," he said. "That, added with the fact that I didn't have the GPA, was enough for them to basically give up on me. I don't blame them for that, but that was one of the things I used to keep me moti- vated when I went to Lackawanna." Scranton was not where he expected to start his college career, but it ended up being the perfect place for Palmer. With the guidance of his coaches at Lackawan- na, he elected to use his redshirt season. The idea was not only to give his knee a chance to fully heal but also to make sure he was on the right track academically. He realized that he needed to focus on his goals. "A lot of people don't really know what a junior college can do for someone unless they go through it," Palmer said. "For me, it really [taught] me what life is all about. When I 2rst got there, I was fortunate that I was able to realize pretty quickly that this is what life is really about. You're on your own now and you're the one who controls whether or not you're going to be successful. It's all up to you and the choices you make. I saw so many people come to Lackawanna and leave within a semester. So many people le5 before the semester was even over. "I'm just so fortunate that I was able to realize what it's going to take for me to live out my dreams. It really taught me dedication and what it takes to make something out of yourself." When Palmer was 2nally cleared to play, he took the Northeast Football Conference by storm, earning 2rst-team All-League honors his redshirt freshman season. He also made major academic progress, and his improvements opened a lot of doors. Suddenly, programs such as Penn State, Ohio State, Arizona State, Baylor, South Carolina and Miami all were extending o3ers. Palmer committed to the Game- cocks last March. But Nittany Lion head coach James Franklin and his sta3 never stopped pursuing him. "They were probably the only school that really didn't stop contacting me," he said. "With a lot of schools, a5er I com- mitted, they stopped sending mail or coaches stopped hitting me up. But with Penn State, they were really, really per- sistent, and that's something I noticed." A5er multiple in-school visits with Franklin, Hand and quarterbacks coach Ricky Rahne, Palmer decided to take an o4cial visit to Penn State on the weekend of the Lions' 2nal home game against Michi- gan State. When he le5 University Park, he was still committed to South Carolina, but he was having serious second thoughts. "That weekend was everything, hon- estly," he said. "I'd been to Penn State be- fore. I'd been there on di3erent weekends when I was at Lackawanna. So, initially, it was just another visit to me. But once I got there and just really observed how passionate their fans were, that's when things really began to change. Being around the coaches, too, and seeing that love, it was big. Their fans are incredible, too. It was an experience like no other. It really opened my eyes. Penn State is much more than I originally thought." Palmer will have junior eligibility a5er playing two seasons at Lackawanna. He has already enrolled at Penn State, having begun classes on Jan. 12. For the next few weeks, his focus will be on academics. He'll also be learning the playbook and getting to know his new teammates. It's going to be a busy time, but don't expect Palmer to lose sight of how he got here. "I know what it feels like to not be in the position I am," he said. "A while back, I was wondering what's next in my life. I al- ways thought about whether or not football was going to be in my life. So I understand how both sides work. I'm not going to take this for granted. I really appreciated every second and every coach who recruited me, and I know I'm going to appreciate every second when I'm at Penn State. No matter what happens these next couple years, I'm going to give it my all and understand the opportunity I've been given." ■

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