Tyler Palko

Infobox NFLactive


|width=
Caption=
currentteam=Free Agent
currentnumber=--
currentposition=Quarterback
birthdate=birth date and age|1983|8|9
birthplace=Imperial, Pennsylvania
heightft=6
heightin=2
weight=215
debutyear=
debutteam=
college=Pittsburgh
undraftedyear=2007
pastteams=
* New Orleans Saints (2007)
nfl=PAL194666

Tyler Palko (born August 9, 1983 in Imperial, Pennsylvania) is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Pittsburgh.

High school career

Palko attended [http://www.westallegheny.k12.pa.us/hs/index.html West Allegheny High School] in Imperial, Pennsylvania. Palko was the Associated Press 2001 Pennsylvania Big School Player of the Year at West Allegheny [ [http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/draft/418202 CBS Sportsline Tyler Palko profile] ] . 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 foot, Coach Bob Palko, earning four letters in football; additionally he earned three letters in basketball, and one in track and field. In his high school senior year, he was named 2002 YMCA Tribune-Review Scholar-Athlete honoree. [ [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/palko_tyler00.html Panther's player bio for Tyler Palko] ] In 2002, Palko was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, [ [http://www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com/playersalumni.php U.S. Army All-American Bowl Player Alumni List] ] an all-star game for high school athletes.

College career

Palko played for the University of Pittsburgh football 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. The game was famous for Palko's hurdle of defensive back star Pacman Jones in the second quarter on a scramble for a first downWho|date=December 2007. Pittsburgh then earned a bid in the Fiesta Bowl to play the Utah Utes. Palko was sacked nine times in a 35-7 loss.

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 [ [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2006-2007/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND 2006-2007 Panther's stats] ] , less than his 2004 [ [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2004-2005/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND 2004-2005 Panther's stats] ] and 2005 [ [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2005-2006/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND 2005-2006 Panther's stats] ] 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.

In January 2007, while still a college senior, Palko was voted one of Pittsburgh's most 25 beautiful people by Pittsburgh Magazine [ [http://www.wqed.org/mag/archives/2007/index_0107.shtml Pittsburgh Magazine Online] ] .

NFL career

2007 season

Palko went undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft 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. [ [http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Team/Transactions.aspx New Orleans Saints transaction report] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Team/Practice%20Squad/People/Tyler%20Palko.aspx Tyler Palko at New Orleans Saints]
* [http://www.nfl.com/players/tylerpalko/profile?id=PAL194666 Tyler Palko at NFL.com]
* [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/palko_tyler00.html Tyler Palko page at Pittsburgh Panthers Football]
* [http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/draft/418202 CBS Sports Scouting Report for Tyler Palko]