Quarterback calling the romance plays

By Ann Oldenburg
USA Today

Jesse Palmer is the bachelor sifting through a bevy of beauties this season. 'The Bachelor' 8-10 tonight, KITV

Jesse Palmer, backup quarterback for the New York Giants, is the first professional athlete to star in "The Bachelor." He kicks off a two-hour episode of the fifth season tonight.

"I had a blast. Were there tough decisions? Yes. Stressful decisions? Yes. But it was by far one of the best experiences I've ever had. It was just so much fun."

Spoken like a guy in love.

As usual, the show will follow a process of elimination, narrowing the field of potential loves from 25 to 15 on the premiere, then to 10, six, four, three, two and, ultimately, that one lucky gal.

"I miss her," Palmer said the other day in a news-conference phone call from New York. Filming of the show wrapped up on March 7, and the two talk every day, but can't be seen in public until the end of the program. He can't say whether they're engaged.

So what's a hunky jock doing on a dating show, anyway? It's not like he has been lacking in the love department. He was in a three-year relationship several years ago, and last year he dated a Canadian beauty pageant winner. But when his agent got a call offering Palmer the gig, it was too good to pass up. He doesn't watch reality TV but was "ready to settle down."

And ABC was looking for a way to beef up the franchise, which averaged a respectable 13.7 million viewers last fall with Bob Guiney as its bachelor.

The fact that not one of the "Bachelor" romances has worked out doesn't seem to matter to Palmer.

"I don't think because 'The Bachelor' is 0 for 4 in relationships means it can't work out. It breaks down to the simplest element, which is this: If you meet the right person, it will work out. There are no guarantees, but you take that chance, that leap of faith, when you do the show."

A friend of his poses as a potential love interest on the show but reports behind-the-scenes remarks to Palmer.

"It worked out great. It was a big bonus," he says, but he can't say how far he had to go in keeping her cover.

Among the women vying for Palmer: a professional inline skater, an NFL cheerleader, a banker, a hair stylist, a law student, an eye-procedure consultant, a waitress, a professional soccer player, a model and a prosthetic technician.