Cincinnati Bengals 2009 Media Guide.indb - Bengals Home

at New England … Showed strong progress as season
went on, posting 96.9 passer rating in his last six games
after scoring 62.6 for his first seven … Posted 105.2 rating
in NFL debut Sept. 12 at N.Y. Jets, and threw his fi rst TD
pass, six-yarder to HB Kenny Watson in third quarter …
Got fi rst NFL win in Sunday nighter Sept. 19 vs. Miami,
leading fourth-quarter drive for game-winning fi eld goal
in 16-13 verdict in first national prime time game at Paul
Brown Stadium … Named AFC Offensive Player of the
Week after leading 27-26 win Dec. 5 at Baltimore, when
he led fourth-quarter comeback from a 20-3 deficit.
2005—A superb season ended prematurely for Palmer,
due to knee injury on second Bengals snap of Wild Card
playoff on 1-8-06 vs. Pittsburgh … Suffered two torn
left knee ligaments (ACL and MCL) on a hit by Steelers’
Kimo von Oelhoffen, and underwent surgery on 1-10-06
… Chosen for Pro Bowl, but could not play due to the
injury … Prior to the injury, led club to 11-5 record and
AFC North Championship … Led NFL in completion
percentage (67.8) … Named as AFC Offensive Player of
the Month for September, when his 114.0 passer rating
fueled 3-0 start … Electrified a sellout crowd at home
opener Sept. 18 vs. Minnesota, launching a 37-8 win
with a 70-yard TD pass to Chad Ochocinco on game’s
second scrimmage play … Had 101.5 rating in crucial
win Dec. 4 at Pittsburgh, passing for three TDs and no
INTs … Threw for three TDs in division-clinching win
Dec. 18 at Detroit … In Wild Card playoff 1-8-06 vs.
Pittsburgh, played only two snaps before suffering knee
injury, completing his only pass for 66 yards to Chris
Henry on the play on which he was injured. 2006—Made
standout return from severe knee injury that had ended
his ’05 season during the playoffs … Started every game
and became first Bengal to win MVP honors in Pro Bowl
… Though he didn’t lead the AFC in any primary passing
categories, his balanced effort placed him second in
conference in six major areas — TDs (28), yards (4035),
completions (324), TD percentage (5.4), average gain per
pass (7.76) and TD-INT differential (plus-15) … Passed
for four TDs in win Sept. 24 at Pittsburgh … On Oct.
22 vs. Carolina, led an 86-yard, 13-play TD drive in the
fourth quarter, bringing Bengals back from 14-10 defi cit
for 17-14 win … His career-high 440 passing yards on
Nov. 12 vs. San Diego was most in AFC for the season,
and he logged career-best 131.1 passer rating as Chad
Ochocinco posted Bengals-record 260 receiving yards.
2007—In season-opening win Sept. 10 vs. Baltimore,
posted 100.3 rating, passing 20-of-32 for 194 yards
with two TDs … Palmer’s six TD passes in loss on Sept.
16 at Cleveland broke the Bengals record of fi ve (accomplished
twice by Boomer Esiason), and the six TD
throws tied for the NFL’s game high in 2007 … Palmer’s
401 passing yards at Cleveland was the year’s AFC high
… His career-high 37 completions Nov. 18 vs. Arizona
were second-most in Bengals history (Ken Anderson, 40)
… Posted 113.0 rating Nov. 25 vs. Tennessee, passing
32-for-38 for 283-3-1, with career-high 84.2 completion
— 81 —
percentage … Finished season Dec. 30 at Miami with his
highest passer rating of year (121.4), going 23-for-32 for
316-3-1, including season-long TD pass of 70 yards to
Chad Ochocinco in second quarter.
COLLEGE: Won the 2002 Heisman Trophy at
Southern California, leading the Trojans to 11-2 record,
including 38-17 Orange Bowl win over Iowa … Played
53 games with 45 starts at USC, competing over fi ve
seasons (1998-2002) because of injury-shortened ’99
campaign that counted as a redshirt year … As a senior,
set USC season records for completions (309), passing
yards (3942) and TD passes (33), and threw only 10 INTs
… Left college as the Pac-10 Conference’s all-time leader
in passing yards (11,818), completions (927) and total
offense (11,621) … His 72 career TD passes set a USC
record … Led Trojans to wins in the last eight games of
his senior season, with the team averaging 41.5 points
per game during that stretch … As a sophomore in
1999, Palmer led USC to victories in its first two games,
but suffered broken right collarbone just before halftime
of Game 3, Sept. 25 at Oregon … He was sidelined for
remainder of the ’99 season, which was allowed to count
for him as a redshirt year … His four starts in 1998 made
him only the second true freshman to start a game at QB
for the storied USC program (joined Rob Johnson, who
started one game in ’91).
CARSON AND ARCHIE: Palmer was the second
Heisman Trophy winner drafted by the Bengals. The first
was Ohio State RB Archie Griffi n, a two-time Heisman
winner. Griffin was the No. 24 overall pick in the 1976 NFL
Draft, the second of two first-rounders by Cincinnati. He
played eight seasons (1976-83) for the Bengals, rushing
for 2808 yards and catching 192 passes for 1607 yards.
HALFWAY TO A MILLION: Palmer and his wife,
Shaelyn, established the Carson Palmer Foundation in
2004, with the mission of supporting children’s charities
in both his hometown community and his NFL home city.
The Palmers have donated both time and money to the
Foundation, focusing on helping abused and abandoned
children in the Orange County (Calif.) and Cincinnati
areas. Through Carson’s two annual charity events, more
than $500,000 has been raised — for Lighthouse Youth
Services in Cincinnati and for Hillview Acres Children’s
Home in California.
PERSONAL: Hometown is Mission Viejo, Calif. …
Attended Santa Margarita High School (in Rancho Santa
Margarita, Calif.), where as a senior in 1997 he passed for
31 TDs and just four INTs, leading his team to a 14-0 record
and its second consecutive state championship … Set 27
school records in high school … Married (wife Shaelyn),
with two children … Hobbies include golf, paintball and
fishing … Brother, Jordan, played QB at Texas-El Paso and
is entering his second Bengals season in 2009.
(continued)
STAFF
ROSTERS
VETERANS
2009 DRAFT CHOICES
COLLEGE FREE AGENTS
2008 REVIEW
HISTORY RECORDS STADIUM , NFL & MEDIA