Paul Palmer

Paul Palmer, the former Temple running back who finished second to Vinny Testaverde in balloting for the 1986 Heisman Trophy, was among the latest players cut from the Cincinnati Bengals' roster. The Bengals released seven players Monday, including Palmer, who was a first-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1987. Palmer, one of two Plan B free agents the Bengals signed in the off-season, was a tailback who specialized in kickoff returns. The Bengals special teams were weak in that department last season.

The last time Paul Palmer played football before a national television audience, he rushed for 110 yards, scored the game's only touchdown and was the single biggest factor in the season's biggest upset. It all happened little more than two weeks ago, when Palmer took the decidedly awful Dallas Cowboys (now 1-10) to their only victory - a 13-3 conquest of the Washington Redskins in the nation's capital - right there in front of the CIA and everyone. Now, the Eagles (7-4), whom Palmer followed with some fervor a few seasons ago when he was a Temple running back of record achievement (no matter what the school's expunged record book says to the contrary)

Paul Palmer now does for the Kansas City Chiefs what he did for Temple from 1983 through 1986. He runs the ball with courage and skill for a team that loses more often than not. But now he plays in front of more people. And he makes more money. The 23-year-old will earn about $350,000 this year, or roughly $345,000 more than he accepted from indicted agent Norby Walters before the start of his senior year at Temple. Five grand might go a long way at the Roy Rogers on North Broad Street near the Temple campus, but it wouldn't even pay for the clothing and jewelry Palmer wore during a recent interview.

What should have been one of the happiest days of Paul Palmer's young life yesterday turned into the saddest. Palmer's teammates from Temple had driven to Potomac, Md., to join his family and friends in congratulating the Owls' running back on being the first-round selection of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL draft. But the most important person in Palmer's life was missing. And the restrained celebration in the Palmer household was later replaced by grief. Palmer's great-grandmother, Frances Palmer, 77, the woman who raised him after his parents separated, died yesterday at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md., just three hours after he was drafted.

Five seasons ago, Paul Palmer left Temple riding high on the shoulders of success, the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Vinny Testaverde. His career in the National Football League promised to be just as uplifting. By now, Palmer figured, he'd be a star running back with the Kansas City Chiefs, having played in a couple of Pro Bowls. He figured wrong. His name has appeared on no all-star rosters, but all too often in "Transactions," the small print of athletic discard: released by Kansas City, traded by Detroit, unprotected by Dallas, waived by Cincinnati.

Before last spring, the closest Paul Palmer had come to a professional golf course was a few rounds of miniature golf. But Temple's All-America running back got a chance to rub elbows with the legendary Arnold Palmer when Mike Fetchko, the Owls' associate director of athletics, arranged to photograph the two on the driving range at a local country club. "I don't know if he knew who I was or not," Paul Palmer said yesterday during Temple's annual media day at Veterans Stadium.

Temple's Bernard Pierce may be giving the word gridlock a new meaning. If motorists are stuck behind a SEPTA bus, there's a good chance they'll see a sign showing Pierce running to daylight while they sit idling. Then there are the three opportunities to see the Owls running back on I-95 as drivers head south near the stadiums. While construction slows them down, Pierce can be seen on billboards picking up blockers and a head of steam. The Schuylkill Expressway and Pennsylvania Turnpike, too, will have a larger-than-life Pierce catching motorists' eyes.

Temple University has fired former Owls star Paul Palmer as a sideline reporter on its radio broadcast team for Temple football games. Palmer, a Temple Hall of Famer who holds the Owls' rushing record with 4,895 career yards, was in his fourth season in the role. Palmer worked Temple's game at Toledo last week. Although WPHT-AM (1210) carries Owls games live, the university coordinates and produces the radio broadcasts. The details surrounding Palmer's departure were unknown last night.

Harry Donahue knows exactly why Channel 6 decided to carry tomorrow's Temple-Virginia Tech football game. Do the initials "P.P. " mean anything to you? Temple is desperate to get Heisman Trophy exposure for Paul Palmer, its record-setting running back. But Donahue, the soothing morning news voice of KYW radio, will try not to hop aboard the Palmer bandwagon while he provides play-by-play (Don Tollefson, Channel 6's sports director, is the color man for the 12:30 telecast). "I can see where you could pay more attention to what one individual is doing," said Donahue, the former play-by-play voice of the USFL Stars.

It is just a matter of time, it appears, before running back Paul Palmer, the ex-Temple star, puts Philadelphia in his rearview mirror again. After riding the bench for the second straight Eagles game, Palmer said Saturday night that he might even request his release, through his agent, Frank Murtha, if he is not going to get a fair chance to make the Eagles. Murtha was unavailable for comment last night, but Eagles president Harry Gamble said he had not been contacted regarding Palmer's future with the Eagles.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Temple's road to a Mid-American Conference East division title hit an unexpected speed bump on Saturday. The Owls (5-3 overall, 3-2 MAC), coming off consecutive blowout wins, were stunned by Bowling Green, 13-10, at Perry Stadium. While its running game found success, Temple got very little from its passing attack and was hurt by penalties. "We had 12 penalties for almost 100 yards. I thought that was a major factor in the game," Temple head coach Steve Addazio said.

This one passed the eye test. Temple's 34-0, homecoming victory over Buffalo on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field indicated the Owls are indeed playing with an edge they'll need at Bowling Green and Ohio the next two weeks. Though Villanova may have lobbied against a Big East invitation for Temple, the Owls' latest performance may indicate the conference is making a mistake. Temple (5-2 overall, 3-1 Mid-American) sure looked Bowl Championship Series-ready in this rout.

MUNCIE, Ind. - Temple swears things will be different. Different as in remaining focused following a big victory. "We just want to enjoy this win. Just that," Owls fifth-year senior quarterback Chester Stewart said of Saturday's 42-0 victory over Ball State at Schuemann Stadium. "We don't want to over-enjoy it like how we did after Maryland and then we come back not ready to play," he said. "So as seniors, we are going to talk about just enjoying the win, and let it be what it is. " While it was an impressive Mid-American Conference win, the Owls (4-2, 2-1 MAC)

MUNCIE, Ind. - Temple sure looked like a Mid-American Conference contender again Saturday. Thanks to Bernard Pierce's record-setting performance and championship-caliber defense, the Owls defeated Ball State, 42-0, at Schuemann Stadium. And they got their swagger back. "We didn't come in here with a crazy game plan," Temple quarterback Chester Stewart said. "We just came in here and played our style of football. "Last week [Toledo] out-physicaled us and really beat us up overall.

THIRTEEN MINUTES into a 26-minute question-and-answer session with statewide media, Penn State coach Joe Paterno dropped a bombshell. Asked to assess the improvement of the Temple football program in recent seasons, Paterno could have said something about the current Owls being better than they have been in quite some time, which they are, and a threat to possibly end the Nittany Lions' domination of the intrastate rivalry, which dates back...

ROSELLE, N.J. - As he walked around the table, embracing family and friends, Muhammad Wilkerson showed it all in his eyes: The jubilation. The relief. The fulfillment. For the 6-foot-4, 315-pound defensive tackle out of Temple, this moment was years in the making. It all paid off Thursday night at a banquet hall here amid about 100 guests. Wilkerson will play for the New York Jets after being chosen with the 30th overall pick in the NFL draft. "It was a great moment. A great moment," said the junior, who became the first Owl to forgo his final season of eligibility to enter the draft.

Temple's Bernard Pierce may be giving the word gridlock a new meaning. If motorists are stuck behind a SEPTA bus, there's a good chance they'll see a sign showing Pierce running to daylight while they sit idling. Then there are the three opportunities to see the Owls running back on I-95 as drivers head south near the stadiums. While construction slows them down, Pierce can be seen on billboards picking up blockers and a head of steam. The Schuylkill Expressway and Pennsylvania Turnpike, too, will have a larger-than-life Pierce catching motorists' eyes.

PAUL PALMER feigned horror when he saw Bernard Pierce chatting up his eldest daughter after a Temple spring practice. "Mo, why you talking to him?" the former Temple football star chided his 22-year-old. "Don't be talking to the enemy. " Anyone who knows Palmer knows that he is a man who loves to laugh and loves to have fun. Pierce knows this now, which is why, when he was asked about their relationship yesterday, Temple's current Heisman Trophy candidate continually looked over to Moet Palmer, a student receptionist in Temple's football office, and broke into bent-over laughs.

In the days leading to the EagleBank Bowl, Temple coach Al Golden was noncommittal when asked who would start at quarterback for the Owls. Yesterday, redshirt junior Vaughn Charlton was on the field when Temple took the first possession of the game. "He had a tremendous 15 practices," Golden said. "I was very pleased with the way he conducted the game, most particularly early on. " Charlton started the Owls' first eight games of the season as the team went 6-2. He was replaced by redshirt sophomore Chester Stewart for the team's last four games of the regular season after Golden decided the former needed to take better care of the football.