Tyler Palko
Encyclopedia
Tyler Palko is an American football
player and starting quarterback
for the Kansas City Chiefs
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
for the University of Pittsburgh
.
Palko was the starting quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh from 2004 to 2006. He was not selected in the 2007 NFL Draft
, but was signed by the New Orleans Saints
as an undrafted free agent. After spending the 2007 season on the Saints practice squad and occasionally the active roster, Palko did not play football in 2008. He joined the Arizona Cardinals
on a future contract in December 2008 before being waived in September 2009. Palko then joined the Montreal Alouettes
of the Canadian Football League
before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers
in November 2009. He signed a future contract with the Kansas City Chiefs
in 2010 but spent most of the 2010 season on the practice squad before being elevated to the active roster near the end of the season. He entered the 2011 season as the back-up to Matt Cassel
. Palko replaced Cassel as the starting quarterback for a November 21 Monday Night Football
game versus the New England Patriots
due to an injury to Cassel's hand.
in Imperial, Pennsylvania
. Palko was the Associated Press
2001 Pennsylvania Big School Player of the Year at West Allegheny. He was a USA Today All-America Team (second team) and three-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WPIAL Class AAA Player of the Year. Palko also led his West Allegheny Indians to a PIAA state title in 2001 for AAA in Pennsylvania. At West Allegheny he played under his father in football, Coach Bob Palko, earning four letters in football; additionally he earned three letters in basketball, and one in track and field. His cousin was James Pratchenko from Center Area High School. In his high school senior year, he was named 2002 YMCA Tribune-Review Scholar-Athlete honoree. In 2002, Palko was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
, an all-star game for high school athletes.
team, where he started his career in 2002
as a lettered true freshman. He only completed 2-3 passes for 13 yards on the season, but rushed for an eight-yard touchdown late in Pitt's Insight Bowl
victory over Oregon State.
The following season, 2003
, Palko redshirted. In 2004
, as a redshirt-sophomore, Palko earned second-team All-Big East honors and was named Pitt's MVP and offensive captain as a first-year starter. Palko's threw for 3,067 yards and 24 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. Palko's 24 touchdowns led the Big East and were third-highest single-season in Pitt history, and his passing yardage total was the most ever for a sophomore and third best overall in Pitt history as well. Palko also had four 300-yard passing games and one 400-yard passing game that season alone. Palko started against the University of South Florida
with a career-high 411 yards, fifth-highest in school history, and matched a personal best of five touchdowns with no interceptions that game. Palko threw five touchdown passes and totaled 334 yards with no interceptions against Notre Dame
becoming the first opposing quarterback to throw for five touchdowns in a single game as a visiting team player against the Fighting Irish
. Late in the fourth quarter, the Panthers went on two late scoring drives: one for a touchdown and one for a game-winning field goal with one second left to play. The Panthers also led three consecutive scoring drives against Temple
to overcome a 10-point fourth quarter deficit. They also overcame the West Virginia Mountaineers
in the Backyard Brawl
after being down 13-9 in the fourth quarter, by leading a drive that consisted of four third-down conversions that ended with a two-yard run by Palko for the score. During the game, Palko hurdled defensive back Pacman Jones in the second quarter on a scramble for a first down. Pittsburgh then earned a bid in the Fiesta Bowl
to play the Utah Utes
. Palko was sacked nine times in a 35-7 loss.
In the spring of 2005, Dave Wannstedt
, after replacing Walt Harris as head coach, chose Palko over Joe Flacco
as the incumbent quarterback in Pitt's spring training. Flacco was left to run Pitt's second team and eventually transferred to the University of Delaware
, where he played for the Division I-AA Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team. Flacco is currently the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens.
As a junior in 2005
, Palko earned second-team Big East honors for the consecutive season and was also named Pitt's captain for the second year in a row. Palko's passing stats were not as productive as the previous year's, with 2,392 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions, but his rushing of six scores was a career-high and a team-high for the season and Palko was Pitt's third leading scorer with 36 points. Palko's 371 yards and four touchdowns against Rutgers University
were season-highs while his 35 completions of 58 attempts were both career highs. Against West Virginia
, he threw for 308 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss. Palko also threw for 198 yards and a touchdown against the second-team best Big East team in Louisville
. In the season-opener against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
, Palko threw for 220 yards with one touchdown and one interception while rushing for a four-yard score as well.
In his final season as a Panther, 2006
, Palko threw for 2,871 yards, less than his 2004 and 2005 totals, but topped the 2004 results with 25 touchdowns. He only rushed for 77 yards and two scores on the season though. Palko and the Panthers opened the season against Virginia
with 283 yards passing and three touchdowns. Palko followed it up with a 267 yard game (Cincinnati
), 277 yard performance (Michigan State), and ended the 200+ yard game streak against The Citadel with 313 yards for four scores. Against West Virginia late in the season, Palko threw for a season-high 341 yards along with two scores in a 45-27 loss. In the season finale against the Louisville Cardinals
, Palko threw for 307 yards with a touchdown, but threw three interceptions as well. Palko's yardage was first in the Big East, passing efficiency of 173.4 was first in the conference, and his completions per game was also first. His ten 300-yard passing games on the season tied a Big East-record set by Rutgers' Ryan Hart from 2002-2005. Palko, along with linebacker H. B. Blades
, were invited to attend the Senior Bowl
at season's end.
Palko ended his college career tied for second in school history in career touchdown passes with former Panther Alex Van Pelt
with a total of 66 and was second in university history in career passing yardage, trailing Dan Marino
by 254 yards. Palko's career totals of 8,343 passing yards with 66 touchdown passes rank him as one of the top-three passers in Panther football history. Thus, Palko is frequently referred to as "The Fifth Highwayman". He ranked 4th in the NCAA in passing efficiency in 2006 with 163 (the leader was Colt Brennan
with 186).
Notes: Uses NCAA (rather than NFL) passer rating model The NCAA indicates he played one game (bringing his total Pittsburgh career games played to 44) in 2003 but was redshirted
that year without any record of passes or rushes. His official Panther biography says he did not play at all in 2003.
before being signed by the New Orleans Saints
on April 28, 2007. After the Saints released Palko at their final cut-down, he was signed to the Saints' practice squad. He was then elevated to the 53-man roster for the team's first regular season game, where he was the team's third quarterback. After the game, he was released and re-signed to the team's practice squad. Palko again was promoted to the 53-man roster for the team's second game, and waived after the game. On October 9, 2007, Palko was signed back onto the Saints' practice squad. On December 30, 2007, Palko was signed onto the active roster for the final game of the season, but was declared inactive for the game.
Palko was waived by the Saints during final cuts on August 30, 2008. Palko injured his hand after being waived.
out of football, Palko was signed to a future contract by the Arizona Cardinals
on December 30, 2008. He was waived on September 4, 2009.
of the Canadian Football League
and was placed on their practice roster. He was signed to the active roster on November 2. He was released on November 25, allowing him to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
and Charlie Batch
were injured. He was promoted to the active roster on November 28 when Roethlisberger was declared inactive for the team's November 29 game against the Baltimore Ravens
. Palko was named the back-up quarterback behind Dennis Dixon
. He was released on December 9, 2009.
to a future contract on March 3, 2010.
On September 4, 2010, the Chiefs released Palko from the active roster, and on the following day, signed him to the practice squad. He was elevated to the 53-man roster on December 8, 2010.
Palko played in in the final minutes of the Oakland-Kansas City game on January 2, 2011. He also played in the final minutes of the Denver-Kansas City game on November 13, 2011.
The Chiefs announced that Palko would take over starting quarterback duties against the New England Patriots in week 11 of the 2011 season, following a season ending index finger injury to starting quarterback Matt Cassel
. Palko's first starting opportunity with the Chiefs resulted in a 34-3 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium
, where he completed 25 of 38 attempts for a total of 236 yards,and also 3 Interceptions. That next week, the Chiefs claimed Kyle Orton
off waivers from the Denver Broncos
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
.
Palko was the starting quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh from 2004 to 2006. He was not selected in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
, but was signed by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
as an undrafted free agent. After spending the 2007 season on the Saints practice squad and occasionally the active roster, Palko did not play football in 2008. He joined the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on a future contract in December 2008 before being waived in September 2009. Palko then joined the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in November 2009. He signed a future contract with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in 2010 but spent most of the 2010 season on the practice squad before being elevated to the active roster near the end of the season. He entered the 2011 season as the back-up to Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. Palko replaced Cassel as the starting quarterback for a November 21 Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game versus the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
due to an injury to Cassel's hand.
Early years
Palko attended West Allegheny High SchoolWest Allegheny School District
The West Allegheny School District is a midsized, suburban public school district which is located in the western corner of Allegheny County, approximately from downtown Pittsburgh. The district comprises Findlay, North Fayette, and Robinson townships, and Oakdale borough. Imperial is the...
in Imperial, Pennsylvania
Imperial, Pennsylvania
Imperial is a census-designated place in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,541 at the 2010 census.The CDP is located in North Fayette and Findlay townships.-Geography:Imperial is located at ....
. Palko was the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
2001 Pennsylvania Big School Player of the Year at West Allegheny. He was a USA Today All-America Team (second team) and three-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
WPIAL Class AAA Player of the Year. Palko also led his West Allegheny Indians to a PIAA state title in 2001 for AAA in Pennsylvania. At West Allegheny he played under his father in football, Coach Bob Palko, earning four letters in football; additionally he earned three letters in basketball, and one in track and field. His cousin was James Pratchenko from Center Area High School. In his high school senior year, he was named 2002 YMCA Tribune-Review Scholar-Athlete honoree. In 2002, Palko was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
, an all-star game for high school athletes.
College career
Palko played for the Pittsburgh Panthers footballPittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
team, where he started his career in 2002
2002 in sports
2002 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria-American football:...
as a lettered true freshman. He only completed 2-3 passes for 13 yards on the season, but rushed for an eight-yard touchdown late in Pitt's Insight Bowl
Insight Bowl
The Insight Bowl is an NCAA college football bowl game played in Arizona since 1989. From 1989 to 1999, the games were played at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. The game moved to Phoenix in 2000 and was played at Chase Field until 2005. After the 2005 playing the Insight Bowl moved to Sun Devil Stadium...
victory over Oregon State.
The following season, 2003
2003 in sports
2003 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season championship: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season championship: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...
, Palko redshirted. In 2004
2004 in sports
2004 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* College football Bowl Championship Series :**January 1 – Rose Bowl – USC 28, Michigan 14...
, as a redshirt-sophomore, Palko earned second-team All-Big East honors and was named Pitt's MVP and offensive captain as a first-year starter. Palko's threw for 3,067 yards and 24 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. Palko's 24 touchdowns led the Big East and were third-highest single-season in Pitt history, and his passing yardage total was the most ever for a sophomore and third best overall in Pitt history as well. Palko also had four 300-yard passing games and one 400-yard passing game that season alone. Palko started against the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
with a career-high 411 yards, fifth-highest in school history, and matched a personal best of five touchdowns with no interceptions that game. Palko threw five touchdown passes and totaled 334 yards with no interceptions against Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
becoming the first opposing quarterback to throw for five touchdowns in a single game as a visiting team player against the Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
. Late in the fourth quarter, the Panthers went on two late scoring drives: one for a touchdown and one for a game-winning field goal with one second left to play. The Panthers also led three consecutive scoring drives against Temple
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
to overcome a 10-point fourth quarter deficit. They also overcame the West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
in the Backyard Brawl
Backyard Brawl
The Backyard Brawl is an annual football game between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia University Mountaineers. The term "Backyard Brawl" has also been used to refer to college basketball games played annually or semi-iannually and may also be used to refer to other...
after being down 13-9 in the fourth quarter, by leading a drive that consisted of four third-down conversions that ended with a two-yard run by Palko for the score. During the game, Palko hurdled defensive back Pacman Jones in the second quarter on a scramble for a first down. Pittsburgh then earned a bid in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
to play the Utah Utes
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
. Palko was sacked nine times in a 35-7 loss.
In the spring of 2005, Dave Wannstedt
Dave Wannstedt
Dave Wannstedt is current Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers Coach for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League. He was most recently head coach of the University of Pittsburgh football team, a position he held for six seasons. Wannstedt is also the former head coach of the Miami...
, after replacing Walt Harris as head coach, chose Palko over Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
as the incumbent quarterback in Pitt's spring training. Flacco was left to run Pitt's second team and eventually transferred to the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
, where he played for the Division I-AA Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team. Flacco is currently the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens.
As a junior in 2005
2005 in sports
2005 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Bode Miller ** Women's overall season champion: Anja Pärson -American football:...
, Palko earned second-team Big East honors for the consecutive season and was also named Pitt's captain for the second year in a row. Palko's passing stats were not as productive as the previous year's, with 2,392 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions, but his rushing of six scores was a career-high and a team-high for the season and Palko was Pitt's third leading scorer with 36 points. Palko's 371 yards and four touchdowns against Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
were season-highs while his 35 completions of 58 attempts were both career highs. Against West Virginia
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, he threw for 308 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss. Palko also threw for 198 yards and a touchdown against the second-team best Big East team in Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
. In the season-opener against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
, Palko threw for 220 yards with one touchdown and one interception while rushing for a four-yard score as well.
In his final season as a Panther, 2006
2006 in sports
2006 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* January 2, Fiesta Bowl – Ohio State 34-20 Notre Dame* January 2, Sugar Bowl – West Virginia 38-35 Georgia...
, Palko threw for 2,871 yards, less than his 2004 and 2005 totals, but topped the 2004 results with 25 touchdowns. He only rushed for 77 yards and two scores on the season though. Palko and the Panthers opened the season against Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
with 283 yards passing and three touchdowns. Palko followed it up with a 267 yard game (Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
), 277 yard performance (Michigan State), and ended the 200+ yard game streak against The Citadel with 313 yards for four scores. Against West Virginia late in the season, Palko threw for a season-high 341 yards along with two scores in a 45-27 loss. In the season finale against the Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
, Palko threw for 307 yards with a touchdown, but threw three interceptions as well. Palko's yardage was first in the Big East, passing efficiency of 173.4 was first in the conference, and his completions per game was also first. His ten 300-yard passing games on the season tied a Big East-record set by Rutgers' Ryan Hart from 2002-2005. Palko, along with linebacker H. B. Blades
H. B. Blades
Horatio Benedict Blades, Jr. is an American football linebacker he is currently a free agent in the National Football League...
, were invited to attend the Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
at season's end.
Palko ended his college career tied for second in school history in career touchdown passes with former Panther Alex Van Pelt
Alex Van Pelt
Alexander "Alex" Van Pelt is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers of the National Football League.-College:...
with a total of 66 and was second in university history in career passing yardage, trailing Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
by 254 yards. Palko's career totals of 8,343 passing yards with 66 touchdown passes rank him as one of the top-three passers in Panther football history. Thus, Palko is frequently referred to as "The Fifth Highwayman". He ranked 4th in the NCAA in passing efficiency in 2006 with 163 (the leader was Colt Brennan
Colt Brennan
Colton "Colt" James Brennan is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
with 186).
Statistics
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Rating | Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Sack | Att | Yds | TD | ||
| 2002 2002 Pittsburgh Panthers football team The 2002 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2002 college football season.-Schedule:-Team Players drafted into in the NFL:... | Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... | 8 | 103 | 3 | 2 | 67 | 13 | 0 | 0 | NA | 10 | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2004 2004 Pittsburgh Panthers football team The 2004 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2004 college football season in which they won a share of The Big East Conference Championship and were awarded with a BCS berth to the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.- Schedule :... | Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... | 12 | 135 | 409 | 230 | 56 | 3067 | 24 | 7 | NA | 129 | 139 | 3 | ||
| 2005 2005 Pittsburgh Panthers football team The 2005 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2005 college football season.-Schedule:-Team Players drafted into in the NFL:... | Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... | 11 | 127 | 341 | 193 | 57 | 2392 | 17 | 9 | NA | 70 | -139 | 3 | ||
| 2006 2006 Pittsburgh Panthers football team The 2006 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2006 college football season.-Schedule:-Team Players drafted into in the NFL:... | Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... | 12 | 163 | 322 | 220 | 68 | 2871 | 25 | 9 | NA | 66 | 77 | 2 | ||
| Totals | 43 | 141 | 1075 | 645 | 60 | 8343 | 66 | 25 | NA | 275 | 86 | 12 | |||
Notes: Uses NCAA (rather than NFL) passer rating model The NCAA indicates he played one game (bringing his total Pittsburgh career games played to 44) in 2003 but was redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
that year without any record of passes or rushes. His official Panther biography says he did not play at all in 2003.
New Orleans Saints
Palko went undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
before being signed by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on April 28, 2007. After the Saints released Palko at their final cut-down, he was signed to the Saints' practice squad. He was then elevated to the 53-man roster for the team's first regular season game, where he was the team's third quarterback. After the game, he was released and re-signed to the team's practice squad. Palko again was promoted to the 53-man roster for the team's second game, and waived after the game. On October 9, 2007, Palko was signed back onto the Saints' practice squad. On December 30, 2007, Palko was signed onto the active roster for the final game of the season, but was declared inactive for the game.
Palko was waived by the Saints during final cuts on August 30, 2008. Palko injured his hand after being waived.
Arizona Cardinals
After spending the 2008 NFL season2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
out of football, Palko was signed to a future contract by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 30, 2008. He was waived on September 4, 2009.
California Redwoods
On September 20, 2009 Palko was signed by the California Redwoods of the United Football League. He was cut during the preseason.Montreal Alouettes
In October 2009 he signed with the Montreal AlouettesMontreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and was placed on their practice roster. He was signed to the active roster on November 2. He was released on November 25, allowing him to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Palko was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad on November 25, 2009 after quarterbacks Ben RoethlisbergerBen Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
and Charlie Batch
Charlie Batch
Charles "Charlie" Batch is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
were injured. He was promoted to the active roster on November 28 when Roethlisberger was declared inactive for the team's November 29 game against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. Palko was named the back-up quarterback behind Dennis Dixon
Dennis Dixon
Dennis Lee Dixon, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
. He was released on December 9, 2009.
Kansas City Chiefs
Palko was signed by the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
to a future contract on March 3, 2010.
On September 4, 2010, the Chiefs released Palko from the active roster, and on the following day, signed him to the practice squad. He was elevated to the 53-man roster on December 8, 2010.
Palko played in in the final minutes of the Oakland-Kansas City game on January 2, 2011. He also played in the final minutes of the Denver-Kansas City game on November 13, 2011.
The Chiefs announced that Palko would take over starting quarterback duties against the New England Patriots in week 11 of the 2011 season, following a season ending index finger injury to starting quarterback Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. Palko's first starting opportunity with the Chiefs resulted in a 34-3 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
, where he completed 25 of 38 attempts for a total of 236 yards,and also 3 Interceptions. That next week, the Chiefs claimed Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
off waivers from the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.