This could finally be it for Paul Palmer. Palmer and the rest of the Temple Owls nation want to believe the most accomplished running back in Temple’s history will finally receive the honor he deserves—induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
(Palmer was the featured cover story in C&P’s inaugural issue on 8/1/15.)
On June 1, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced the 2017 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Didn’t someone once say, “You are known by the company you keep?” Well, this is Palmer’s sixth year on the ballot, joining an elite “Who’s Who” of 81 FBS players and coaches such as Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Peyton Manning, Tony Gonzales, Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis.
“It is such a thrill and an honor to be on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame once again,” said Palmer in an interview with Owlsports.com.
After ranking among the NCAA leaders in rushing and all-purpose yards as a junior, Palmer led the nation in 1986 in rushing yards (1,866), rushing yards per game (169.6) and all-purpose yards (2,633) as a senior and was a unanimous first-team All-American.
Palmer was named 1986 ECAC Player of the Year and runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, Palmer’s record-setting season placed him among the NCAA all-time leaders in all-purpose yards and all-purpose yards per game (239.4). In an Oct. 11 game against East Carolina, he rushed for 349 yards and tied the record for all-purpose yards with 417. In his next three games, he rushed for 239, 187, and 212 yards setting NCAA marks for rushing yards in consecutive games, three consecutive games and four straight contests.”
Overall, Palmer set 23 school records and remains the Owls’ career leader in rushing attempts (935), rushing yards (4,895), 100-yard rushing games (21), 200-yard rushing games (6), and all-purpose yards (6,613). He left the college ranks with the sixth highest total for career rushing yards, a mark that still places him in the top 30 of all-time. His career all-purpose yards ranked fourth best in NCAA history behind only Napoleon McCallum, Darrin Nelson, and Tony Dorsett and remains ranked in the Top 25. Palmer went on to play in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions and earned All-NFL honors as a return man his rookie year. He now serves as the radio color analyst for Owls football games.
The 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be announced Jan. 6, 2017, in Tampa, Florida They will be inducted Dec. 5, 2017, at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and subsequently immortalized at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.” The Temple Owls nation expects to see Palmer there.
