Trey Palmer Everyone was smiling two hours after he was selected in the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Palmer, a Nebraska receiver who became a star in his only season with the Huskers, was selected in the sixth round with Tampa Bay’s 191st pick. He spoke to a small group of media via Zoom Saturday afternoon shortly after being drafted and his reaction to the life-changing moment.
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Palmer was expected to be taken somewhere in the middle rounds as most draft experts predicted he would be selected in the fourth or fifth round, and there was a chance he would be taken late in the third round.
Rounds two and three on Friday night came and went, as did rounds four and five while Palmer waited for the call.
It finally came in the form of Bucs General Manager Jason Licht, who broke the news to Palmer, and praised the former Hasker.
“I was so filled with emotion that I actually made a point like, ‘Oh, this (will happen).'” “I was so excited,” Palmer said.
Now, he’s ready to work in Tampa alongside future stars Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin.
Palmer said, “I’m excited to be joining those types of guys. They can teach me more things just like I did my freshman year at LSU. Justin Jefferson taught me things. Ja’Marr Chase taught me things. I’m going to learn. I always want to get better.”
The Bucs will start rookie camp the first or second week of May. This will be Palmer’s first time training with an NFL logo, and he’s ready to show what he can bring to the franchise.
“Really, what I bring is the mentality of practice and energy,” Palmer said. “I’m kind of a person who has energy when I’m on the field, so basically I want to bring that energy, that joy, that finesse and really learn from the pros and the veterans. And really help them out as well, and they can Help me too.”
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Palmer spoke briefly about how his time with the Mummies helped bring him with him and get him to the point of becoming an NFL player. He spent three years at LSU and recorded 41 receptions for 458 yards and three touchdowns, as well as two touchdowns on a punt and a point return.
At Nebraska, he eliminated those receiving numbers in just one year as he finished the 2022 season with 71 catches for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. All of these totals ranked in the top 5 in program history for a single season with his total receiving yardage setting a Huskers single-season record, his total receptions ranking him #1 in receivers and #2 among all positions, his touchdowns. Mark ranks fifth.
Palmer is a native of Kentwood, Louisiana, and was a second-ranked five-star in the state in the class of 2019. He stayed home and signed with LSU, but his decision to transfer to Lincoln paved the way for him to gain tunnel vision as he works to get to the next level.
“It’s really helped me focus on football, which is what I love,” Palmer said. “When I moved to Nebraska from LSU, I just focused on football and that’s what (the transfer) helped me do — just focus on football and just focus on good habits.” that you created.”
Of course, being a native of Louisiana means that the nearby New Orleans Saints — less than 90 minutes from Kentwood — are pretty much loyal to most people in his family and hometown.
Will he try to convert his family members into becoming fans of the Saints’ NFC South rival, Tampa Bay?
“I really let them do it,” Palmer said with a laugh. “They know how I came about. Whatever team I’m on, I want to help that team win. There’s no love lost. They know at the end of the day we all love each other.”
Discuss Trey Palmer, Ochaun Mathis and the NFL Draft with other Husker fans at Insiders Council.
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