5-Star Advice: Tyler Palko
From the book "5-star QB", Q&A with the former Pitt Panther QB now working in the private sector outside Kansas City
There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.
In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none.
Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.
This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Pitt QB (and my former teammate) Tyler Palko. Palko suited up for the Panthers from 2002 to 2006, establishing himself among the all-time greats signal callers in program history. Undrafted in 2007, the left-handed QB signed with the Saints, Cardinals and Steelers before finally given a chance to play with the Chiefs in 2010-11, including 4 starts in 2011 following a season-ending injury to Matt Cassell. After football, Palko still lives in the Kansas City area but stays connected with his school and in fact was the keynote speaker at Pitt’s 2024 Football Kickoff Luncheon. This week, Pitt hosts Cal in an ACC battle and the Panthers QB Eli Holstein, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Alabama, has become the first Pitt quarterback to win his first 5 starts since Dan Marino in 1979.
From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….
When did you get your first scholarship offer?
This is a tough one because I was fortunate enough to have about a dozen offers during my freshman year. My father was my head coach and probably sheltered me from all of that stuff. During my time in high school there wasn’t any social media and the coverage that happens now was non-existent. When they offered you a scholarship it was more of a verbal “we want you to be...” when the coaches came to see you. I have to be honest, I don’t know if I would have been able to keep up with all of the social media stuff now. I know those things are important for image and controlling your brand, but as a high school kid I was really happy with the old school way that things happened in high school. That being said, and a long-winded answer, I remember Pitt being the first offer that I got, when Coach Harris had me on campus for a QB/WR camp down on the South Side practice facility.
What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?
I again was very fortunate in that I could have gone anywhere I wanted. I was an All- State Free Safety as well and some schools wanted me to play on the defensive side of the ball. If I remember correctly, my final 5 schools at the time I committed before my Senior year were: Pitt, PSU, Michigan, Wisconsin and LSU.