They just wrapped a nice discussion with Tyler on The Fan. The point mentioned that I found most interesting involved Joe Flacco. Tyler said he and Joe had a good relationship and that Joe had amazing arm talent. Tyler then speculated that in retrospect, maybe the team and himself would’ve been better served had he been switched to safety and Flacco had been the starting QB. Tyler said he’s been told he likely would’ve had more success in the NFL as a safety.
Palko Interview on The Fan
- Thread starter maxxwell
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He wasn’t athletic enough to be an NFL safety. He ran a 4.88 forty yard dash.
I've always said that Tyler should've moved to safety at Pitt. He was a very good safety in HS.
Yeah, but he probably would have been training more throughout his time at Pitt for safety skills over QB skills. So I am thinking he could have gotten that to 4.75 range. I mean what did John Lynch run? Sometimes smarts can make up for speed.
On that note, probably hindsight yes. But I always thought Tyler was miscast at QB. Remember when Walt was putting in that spread? Tyler was the QB for that type of offense, not a pro set. Let him make quick reads, he can use his feet to convert 3rd downs......... He was the perfect QB for that.
Tyler was also very critical of the sports administration for shedding first Walt and then Wanny out of impatience. He said it does appear that they are now allowing Duzz to settle in
Didn’t Tyler wear a pitt script sticker on his helmet at a Sr bowl game? Much to the anger of Steve?
If so, ballsy and great move
If so, ballsy and great move
Well maybe so, but I guarantee he wouldn't have been receptive to it at the time, so what's the difference? Knowing how competitive he was, he'd have probably transferred or something. And he wasn't a bad college quarterback or anything... far from it. We've seen much worse come through here. I honestly don't think we'd have been much better off, if better off at all, with Flacco under center.
Lynch ran a 4.64, and played in an era in which the offenses were a lot different. There is no chance Palko makes an NFL roster at safety.
Now yes, before we'll never know.
TP had wheels.. remember him running down the corner from Virginia ...
he did and smiley was all pissy and yelled at him for it.
Palko wasn’t going to go from a 4.88 forty yard dash to 4.6. Palko busted his butt as it was.
You never know he should of called Mandarich to see what he was given at Mich St.
Well.....if you are going down that path, then MLB would make more sense. He could have been about 240 with the juice.
He and H.B. Blades both put Script Pitt on their helmets at the Sr Bowl.
I listened to most of the conversation but then had to shut off the car. Did they ask him what he does for a living? Married with kids ? He did say he has lived in Kansas City since 2009.
Never understood not athletic enough term.. if a half step slow in 40 yards..
Name one safety in the NFL that ran a 4.88. Feel free to go back over the last 10 years.
It's not just the 4.88.. He ran a 4.36 short shuttle. Those guys get eaten up in coverage.
Scott McKillop ran a 4.7 and ran a 4.39 as a MLB and was considered a bit stiff as a MIDDLE LINEBACKER.
No way does Tyler's athleticism allow him to last in the NFL as a defensive back.
Scott McKillop ran a 4.7 and ran a 4.39 as a MLB and was considered a bit stiff as a MIDDLE LINEBACKER.
No way does Tyler's athleticism allow him to last in the NFL as a defensive back.
Maybe give him credit for that.. nowhere did I say he was a defensive back or safety.
Just said he wheels, for those that remember the scrimmage at Gateway and who else he ran down.
I'll wait for the answer...
Is that the answer not athletic enough... again I made no mention to defense.
If you played or play D1 sports and in the next level I'd say pretty athletic.
I am a big Tyler Palko fan. QB was the right position for him because he was a starter in college and briefly in the NFL. That would not have happened at safety. I thought that was pretty clear, but if not hopefully it is now.
You and me both, I know Tyler personally, and definitely not a safety at D1 level.
He played the right position.
If he had been a Safety we would have missed two of the most memorable Pitt plays of the 21st Century:
(1) When he ran over the DB from BC and knocked him out. Remember, that happened when the team was, I believe, 1-4 or 1-5 and was losing that game by two scores. That fired the team up; they came back to win that game and turned around the season. Putting Tyre Young in the starting lineup didn’t hurt either.
(2) Throwing five TD passes at Notre Dame, followed by the greatest TV interview in world history: I’m so proud of this fuc*ing team!
If he had been a Safety we would have missed two of the most memorable Pitt plays of the 21st Century:
(1) When he ran over the DB from BC and knocked him out. Remember, that happened when the team was, I believe, 1-4 or 1-5 and was losing that game by two scores. That fired the team up; they came back to win that game and turned around the season. Putting Tyre Young in the starting lineup didn’t hurt either.
(2) Throwing five TD passes at Notre Dame, followed by the greatest TV interview in world history: I’m so proud of this fuc*ing team!
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Tyler was one tough dude On pure grit as an athlete, I would place Tyler first among PITT quarterbacks, with Tom Savage second and KENNY PICKETT third.
I always thought that Walt made a big mistake with Rutherford. In high school, Rod was unbelievably quick. He had Mike Vick skills. Walt try to make him a prototype NFL quarterback. He bulked him up so much that he lost a lot of his speed. Walt was unwilling to adapt to Rod’s strengths. He made Rod adjust to his system. In my Opinion, big mistake.
Cavanaugh would have made Flacco look like a jabronie and he wouldn't have been drafted nearly as high.
They put up several of the interviews as podcasts but I never saw a link for this one.
Turns out it was posted, not sure when:
https://21133.mc.tritondigital.com/...0/Tyler_Palko_Former_Pitt_QB.mp3?t=1587648600
https://21133.mc.tritondigital.com/...0/Tyler_Palko_Former_Pitt_QB.mp3?t=1587648600
Mike Vick? His arm nor his quickness are remotely close? Vick was a 4.3 guy with the ability to start and stop like Barry Sanders. Rod was a strider in HS and in college. Good speed, great strength, good arm. Mike Vick???
Walt didn't bulk Rod up. Some guys who never trained blow up with the least amount of stimulus. Rod was around 225lbs when he came to PITT. He weighed in at 240 at the combine. 10-15lbs of muscle gain is pretty average for skill guys over 4-5 years.
Rarely do guys ever get lose their quickness as the mature through college. Lineman who gain massive amounts of weight might lose a step in the 40, but that 10 yard area should be even better.
Why Rod? And, what kind of spread are we talking? Texas Tech or WVU under RR?
