Palmer was born in Fresno, California. By the time he was in seventh grade, Palmer had remarkable size and arm strength for his age. His father, Bill Palmer, enrolled him in private classes in Orange County, where he was late… See more

Palmer entered the University of Southern California in 1998, where he played for head coach Paul Hackett the first three years of his college career. He began the season as a back-up to Mike Van Raaphorst. They split time th… See more