Carson Palmer  
 

  • Other than Carson, the only true freshman to start at QB for USC was Rob Johnson, who made one start in 1991.
  • Carson’s 425-yard passing day against Notre Dame in 2002 is still the worst day for the Irish pass defense in school history.
  • Carson finished with 11,388 career passing yards in college—fourth all-time when he graduated.
  • Carson was the first West Coast player to win the Heisman Trophy since Marcus Allen in 1981. Carson was the first USC quarterback to capture the award, and the second player from Orange County—John Huarte won it in 1964.
  • Carson was only the third West Coast quarterback to win the Heisman. Terry Baker (1962) and Gary Beban (1967) were the first two.
  • Carson was the first quarterback in NFL history taken #1 overall who did not play a down his rookie year.
  • One Monday night in 2004, Carson and Chad Johnson drove to Indianapolis and bought tickets to a Colts game. They watched Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning only, noting how they interacted with each other. According to Carson’s wife, he returned from this experience more focused than ever on becoming a great NFL quarterback.
  • Carson set an NFL record with nine straight games with a 100+ passer rating, starting at the end of the 2004 season.
  • Carson established a new team record for touchdown passes in 2005, breaking the mark of 29 held by Ken Anderson.
  • Carson was the fifth quarterback selected by the Bengals in the first round. The first was Greg Cook, in 1969.
  • Carson has thrown 75-yard passes in practice.
  • Carson favorite video game as a kid was Nintendo Contra.
  • Ken Dorsey visited USC during Carson’s freshman year. When he saw how hot the young QB was, he crossed the Trojans off his list and went to Miami.
  • Carson is a great golfer. He plays to a single-digit handicap.
  • Carson and his wife, Shaelyn, host two charity golf events each year, the Carson Palmer Golf Classic in Cincinnati and the Carson Palmer Open in Orange COunty. The proceeds from both events got to children’s charities.
  • Carson met Shaelyn at USC. She was the goalkeeper for the Lady Trojans soccer team.
  • Carson was a Public Policy major at USC.
  • Carson’s younger brother, Jordan, was a quarterback for UTEP.


 

 


Gary Beban, 1966 Street & Smith


Ken Anderson, 1981 Topps


Ken Dorsey, Legends

  

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