Bruce Arians is riding high right now.
On the field, he has led the Arizona Cardinals into the NFL postseason for the second time in two tries as head coach for a franchise that had been shut out of the playoffs for four straight years.
Off the field, Arians enjoys the praise and gratitude of many, especially former players from his first stint as a head coach at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa.
Former Heisman trophy runner-up and NFL Pro Bowler Paul Palmer spoke recently to Fox Sports regarding his former ball coach and expressed his gratitude to Bruce Arians for recruiting him.
@BruceArians… I owe U so much! U taught me #TempleTuff & made me #TempleProud! #WeTheT #TempleMade #TUwest #AZowls pic.twitter.com/69QOtcoHWu
— Paul BooBoo Palmer (@PaulPalmer06) December 12, 2015
“I’m forever grateful to him,” Palmer said. “He’s the only head coach that thought I was worthy enough of a scholarship.”
“My first year in college, I’m a rookie, a freshman in college football,” he continued, “and he’s kind of like a freshman as a college football coach. So we kind of took care of each other for four year … I grew as a young man, and he grew as a coach those four years. So, a lot of what we both have is because of each other.”
Viewed by many as the greatest player ever to wear the ‘cherry and white,’ Paul Palmer had a standout college career and was drafted in the first round of the 1987 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. It would not be difficult to speculate Paul’s career taking a completely different path had he not been recruited by Bruce Arians.
Blair Thomas, Tom Lally, & NFL Coach of the Year, BRUCE ARIANS!
Posted by Paul W Palmer on Friday, March 13, 2015
“Coach has been a confidant,” he said. “There’s been some things that I’ve discussed with Coach that I didn’t discuss with anybody else. And it has never come forth. He’s never said anything. He and I have barely talked about it again. He’s been very good to me. Again I thank him. … Most times when I get off the phone with him, I tell him I love him. I always tell him I appreciate him because I don’t know where I would have been if I hadn’t gone to Temple and gotten a scholarship. Who knows where I would have ended up.”
Paul Palmer was featured in the summer 2015 print issue of Coach & Player Magazine, where he discussed his life after football and the road he took to get where he is today.
*Editor’s Note* Thanks go to Gorden Glantz for contributing to portions of this article.
