More than half a decade after retiring from the NFL, former USC quarterback Carson Palmer is officially back in the world of football. As you know, Palmer was named the head coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Orange County. Palmer is an alum of Santa Margarita, having starred there in the 1990s. After graduating, Palmer went on to USC, where he played for five seasons. As a senior in 2002, Palmer won the Heisman Trophy under Pete Carroll while leading the Trojans to an 11-2 record and an Orange Bowl victory over Iowa.
Palmer was selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He would go on to spend 15 years in the NFL with the Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Arizona Cardinals. Palmer was named to three Pro Bowls during his pro career. His best season in the league came in 2015, when he threw for 4,671 yards and 35 touchdowns and led Arizona to the NFC Championship Game.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Palmer evolved as a quarterback under Pete Carroll, so as the newly-minted coach of a high school program, you had better believe he has turned to Carroll for some advice, as a recent Los Angeles Times story reported:
“I talk to him often and he’s given me little tidbits that I hadn’t even thought about when I first went to him with this,” Palmer said. “He’s an open book and so vulnerable with the mistakes he made, so open with the things he’s shared. I’ve gotten a ton of stuff from him that I love.”
If you want to feel good this Christmas, the story of Carson Palmer embracing coaching, and Pete Carroll throwing his full support to his former player, is sure to make Trojans of all ages feel warm and fuzzy.