Palmer power

The modern history of college football can be documented by its offensive trends. In the late '60s and all through the '70s, option-based attacks like the Wishbone were all the rage. Beginning in the mid-'80s, West Coast, short-passing themes prevailed.Today, receiver-oriented, spread-option offenses are popping up everywhere, and as the theory goes, who wouldn't want to play in an offensive system where the ball is being tossed around more frequently than F-bombs in an episode of Deadwood?A fullback, that's who wouldn't.So it was that Mark Palmer might have been the only person in the state of Utah who wasn't smitten with coach Urban Meyer when the latter arrived on the Utes campus in 2003. Palmer, a Granite Bay High graduate, was a fullback. Meyer, now the head coach at Florida, had no real use for fullbacks in his spread attack.The result? Exit Palmer from Utah. Enter Boston College in Palmer's life.Today, the 6-foot-2-inch, 255-pound senior is heading into his third season as a starter for the Golden Eagles, who open their season Thursday in an ESPN2 televised game at Central Michigan. He's enjoying his time in Chestnut Hill, Mass., which is a long way, figuratively and literally, from Utah."I visited a couple of other places, but I liked (Massachusetts). It's different from what I'm used to," Palmer said of his transfer process from Utah. His decision to move on came months after he seemed poised for a solid career with the Utes. Palmer started the final three games of the 2002 season for Utah, making an impact as a true freshman much as he had early in his athletic career at Granite Bay.Back when Palmer was a Grizzly few could have predicted he would end up as a 250-pound wrecking ball."I came into high school (weighing) 140 pounds at 6-2," he said. "My junior year I was 180, and I was thinking more about playing safety (in college). I was actually recruited as a tight end."Versatility was Palmer's calling card in high school. He made the varsity football team as a sophomore and played quarterback, defensive end and safety for the Grizzlies' 1999 and 2000 Division II Sac-Joaquin Section championship teams. He was a good enough athlete that he made Granite Bay's varsity basketball team four consecutive years.As former Grizzlies like Adam Jennings (ex-Fresno State), Dallas Sartz (USC) and Sammie Stroughter (Oregon State) also learned, playing football in Granite Bay's system prepared Palmer well for the rigors of college."(Granite Bay coach Ernie) Cooper runs a pretty tight ship," Palmer said. "Probably the discipline he had was the most important thing. I've got to give him credit. He runs a high school program like the colleges. The commitment he inspires definitely prepares you for college."Palmer has also taken care of business in the classroom and graduated in the spring with a degree in marketing. The official line from Boston College is that he is currently pursuing a master's degree, though he admits, "Right now I'm just taking courses to be eligible."Even if the NFL doesn't come calling - and Palmer realizes it might not, considering the limited use of fullbacks in all modern offenses - he plans to return to California and join his father Bill and older sister Jennifer in the family's real estate business.For now his focus is on helping the Golden Eagles improve upon their 9-3 season of a year ago, and on staying healthy."I got hurt last year," said Palmer, referring to a concussion he suffered against Clemson that forced him to miss five games. "I don't even remember the rest of the game. It happened in the first quarter. "I'm concentrating on making the most of this year."