Palko reminds me a lot of a Joe Montana in terms of build and durability. He has also shown that he can be a very smart and efficient passer when hes in the right system. Plus the NFL has to love the fact that the guy has always shown guts, leadership and that he can take a hit.

I believe he is still going to be the best pro quarterback out of those three. If for no other reason than he doesn’t crack under pressure. I can’t say that for Stanton, and Smith, well we only saw him under pressure once this year and it didn’t go so well for him.

I have freeze-framed Palko’s performance in Tampa a couple of years ago. That’s how I’d like to remember him.

I will always remember him for the wvu win to put us in the Fiesta Bowl with that game winning drive capped by his TD, the time he steamrolled the BC defender, and of course when he “was so f’ing proud of his team” against ND. He will be missed, its too bad he didnt have a better line and defense to play with. Hes the type of guy that can lead you to a championship.

Hope he gets a chance. I think Smith was overrated and is going to be a bust in the pros. Stanton is soft.

who did moye choose????

He chose PSU.

Well as a Pitt Alum and FB season ticket holder, maybe my opinion is biased, but I think that Palko will get drafted in the 5th or 6th round. I also think that he will have a long NFL career. I don’t know that he will be a star, but he can play on the next level. I am always amused when I hear the pundits talk about “arm strength” and “release” as if they are the be all to end all in NFL QB’s. Here are three guys that had average arm strength and nobody talked about their great releases: Montana, Young, and Tarkenton. I think that Palko is more in the Young mold…smart, accurate, tough, and mobile enough to get out of the way (which is all a QB needs to be). Give me Jeff Garcia in his prime over some rocket arm QB like Vinny T any day. Tyler Palko completed 68% of his passes this year, in an offense that is still in “transition”. Troy Smith had a hell of a run at OSU, but I wonder how Palko would have done with the same OSU team…my hunch is he would have done pretty damned good. Lastly, 4.9 is slow if you are a RB or WR. Palko has the mentality and skill to play Safety at the next level. I’d bet 4.9 does not put him in the elite category for safety’s, but it’s probably adequate to play the position. I am really going to miss the guy, but I am also looking forward to Stull, Bostick or whoever takes over the reigns to continue the success that Pitt has had at the QB position for the last several years.

Reports from the Senior Bowl regarding Palko have been consistently negative, so I have to agree that unless some wise GM that can see past the tangible evidence shown at these type of gatherings and understands what Palko brings to the team in his practice and field play – he’ll go in the mid-low rounds. I hope I’m wrong about this as Palko deserves the best possible shot at success in the NFL as much as any player I can remember in recent history.

That said, I believe we might see an even more productive offense without him (maybe not in scoring, but in making first downs and possession time), and I can’t base that on any hard knowledge other than I thought the expectations put on the offense based on Palko’s Soph. year influenced how the last two years went way too much. Too often it looked like Cavanaugh settled for little or no gain on first and second down thinking that Palko could save the possession on his third down passing. Run, Run, Pass…Punt. We saw it way too much last year, and didn’t have the rushing skill for that to work. Now it will be more of a ‘blank slate’ situation that might allow a more rounded offensive approach. Of course, there are pros and cons about that, and you can’t argue with how effective Palko was at putting up points as our QB last year, especially with two relatively new receivers. But when it counted in low scoring games we didn’t get it done with him at the helm.

He was great fun to watch, but in my heart I do believe we overestimated how good he was because he was ours, because he was a good soldier and all too often the only bright spot in a mediocre offense.

Lets just wait and see how he does in the Senior Bowl before making predictions on him. It just may be that his intangibles will shine as bright or better than Smith and Stanton.

Wow! I am truly beside myself as I read these myopic comments. Have any of you actually watched a game without your blue and gold glasses? This adoration of Palko was a contributing factor to this program’s descent. Not only was Palko a very poor decission maker, his lack of composure and his close-my-eyes-and chuck-it strategy hurt this program far more often then helped it. Yes, there were memorable comebacks sprinkled throughout his career but an intelligent fan would much rather see the consistant game winning positives rather than a poor mans Brett Favre impersonator. Late round wasted pick, training camp fodder, cut before first game. Off to NFL Europe for two years then cut at another training camp ending. Two years in ARENA League 2 then off to an ‘Uncle Rico’ like coaching career as his fathers heir apparent at West Allegheny High School.

You just described the resume of almost every penn state qb. Consider the guy never had an o line and not much of a running game to work with and I would say he achieved quite a bit.

Rex do you think the man graduated from the “State Penn?”

Really? Achieved? Wow. I cannot recall any bowl games won and I do not see a Heismann on the Palko mantle. Where are said achievements? And no, I did not attend Penn State. I am a Pittsburgh academic and athletic alumunus. One of the few with an objective point of view. Lets talk after the draft. NFL offenses do not throw 12 wide receiver screens per game nor do they tolerate three fumbled snaps per game. And trust me most of the people whom are happiest to see Palko go are in the locker room at Heinz Field.

Emsquared? Athletic alumnus? On the Crew team? Or perhaps gymnastics? Behind a pathetic O-line, Palko was one of the most efficient QBs in the NCAA and tough as nails. Gritty. NFL arm? Maybe not. But that does not diminish that he was a very good college QB.

Addressing the last five posts, Kenny made a good point about watching the Senior Bowl before making predictions. It was the best, and the worst, of what Palko brings to a team. He showed what made him a good QB in taking charge and making things happen, especially with a good 16 yard scramble for a first down – but also fumbled a snap, tossed one of his favorite & risky left handed shovel passes (complete) to a receiver to get down to the two yard line (that play raised some eyebrows with the announcers), and made a poorly placed pass on third and goal to force a FG.

Basically, he did what we PITT fans know he can do, and the intangible aspects of his game came through. Some team will draft him, and he’ll stay on a roster for some years, and whether or not he gets to start will be determined by circumstances (injury, etc.) Personally, I don’t think he’ll ever be a solid starter in the Pros, and one reason is I agree that ’emsquared’ has some (few) valid points about Palko’s play. In the Pros coaching staffs are a lot less forgiving of reckless QB play, simply because the games are so much lower scoring than in college – risky plays that don’t get yardage and turnovers kill important drives, and in most games all second half drives at least are important. Take Favre out of the equation because his pure “tangible” talent over rides his mistakes, but less talented QBs that play that way pretty much ride the pine.

Look, one of the differences between how PITT and PSU fans view their programs is that PSU fans don’t look to one superstar to carry the team, and unfortunately we do. Case in point is our experience of having Tony Dorsett at RB and Dan Marino at QB during our most successful periods. We’ve been looking for that again, and it hurts us. If you read the posts to the PITT blogs since we got McCoy’s commitment, you’ll see numerous comparisons to Dorsett (or ones saying he’s better than) and over the past three years almost everything written about the PITT team has had Palko as the main subject. Well, maybe Palko got so much ink because he was a star on a not so talented offense, and the only bright spot to write about. None of the above diminishes my respect at what Palko did for the team and the program over his time here. He was put in a tough position with the coaching change and shift in offensive approach and handled it with grace and hard work. Not once did he play the Prima Donna and complain, and in this day and age that alone is remarkable. He was exciting to watch, and a true PITT star.

This relying one one star might change in the future, and I’m hoping that whoever plays QB for us next year does very well. But, I’ll trade a star QB or RB that makes great plays every once in a while for a balanced and effective offense that can move the ball in regular increments, control possession and the clock, and win games.

By the way, I sailed with a kid that was a college gymnast, and watch him kick the crap out of four guys in a bar fight in Alaska. So, calling some one a “gymnast” is not so insulting as you’d think.

Crew might be different though.

Suddenly no posts. Apparently everyone watched Palko in the senior bowl. Mediocrity in a no-blitz-allowed game wasnt impressive??? As expected, the five yard out patterns were executed at about a 80% efficiency, alot of running around in the backfield (indicative of indecision), the obligatory fumbled snap and the ever present posession stall inside the 10 yard line. Yep, thats Palko. See you on the practice squad!