Posted on: Friday, October 15, 2004
UTEP quarterback could pass for local boy
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
EL PASO, Texas — While scanning the Hawai'i football roster, Texas-El Paso quarterback Jordan Palmer came across a startling find — the name of starting defensive end Kila Kamakawiwo'ole.
Showing the roster to offensive coordinator Eric Price, a former UH assistant, Palmer said, "He has to be related to the man, right?"
When told later that Kamakawiwo'ole was indeed the cousin of the late musical great, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Palmer said, "Wow, that's crazy. That's a cool thing to know."
Palmer has been the Miners' starting quarterback all season and a Bruddah Iz fan for a few years.
Palmer owns several Kamakawiwo'ole CDs and tries to play his songs on his acoustic guitar. He was introduced to the music following a senior class trip to Hawai'i three years ago. After his classmates returned to the Mainland, Palmer went to Kona to spend a week with a family friend.
"I helped out his family on the farm," Palmer said. "I hung out there, and they got me into Bruddah Iz's music. I love Bruddah Iz."
Palmer, who was born with salt water in his veins, is the player least likely to have ended up in El Paso, where the closest body of water — Rio Grande — serves as a natural border between Texas and Juarez. He chose UTEP because of the school's commitment to building the football program.
But Palmer, who was raised in Mission Viejo, said it was difficult to leave the West Coast.
"I'm from California, so I love the ocean," he said.
When he's back in California, he will surf, but only on long boards. "I'm 6-5," he said, "so short boards have always been tough for me."
His real passion is bodyboarding. During his last trip to Hawai'i, he rode the waves at Sandy Beach and Pipeline.
"I like it because it's peaceful," he said. "It takes your mind off of stuff. I can't go home often, so it's not something I can do much right now. It's something I did a lot in high school and something I'll do when I'm done playing ball. I have to go somewhere near the water."
For now, Palmer is enjoying his role in the Miners' surprising 3-2 start under Mike Price, who was hired last December. The Miners had three Division I-A victories in the previous three seasons.
"Everybody wants to learn and is hungry," Palmer said. "I think when you have that many losing seasons in a row, and you feel you're so close to being a good team, and then you get that spark — from the new coaching staff and that new everything — that kind of pushed us, and now we're on a roll."
Palmer's improved play is symbolic of the Miners' emergence. He redshirted as a freshman in 2002 after suffering a broken collarbone. In the six games he started last season, the Miners were 1-5 (with all of the losses against Western Athletic Conference opponents).
It was then when Palmer turned to his older brother, Carson Palmer, who won the 2002 Heisman Trophy as a Southern California senior.
"We don't talk much Xs and Os," Palmer said. "We're really brothers more than we are quarterbacks or football players. But the one thing football-wise that we talk about is patience and being humble and how to deal with situations."
He remembered that USC struggled during Carson's junior and senior seasons. "Watching him go through that has helped me," Palmer said. "I had a real tough last year. I struggled a little bit in the beginning here, but it's starting to come around."
While adjusting to the new one-back offense, the Miners relied largely on their running attack in the first three games. But the passing game is developing, and last week Palmer helped UTEP upset Fresno State.
"Things are changing around here," Palmer said.
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
