Jesse Palmer in the [TD Water]House
When the Magic played the Indiana Pacers on February 22, we spotted former Florida Gator, current New York Giants quarterback and once star of ABC’s The Bachelor, Jesse Palmer sitting center court. We spoke to Jesse on his business in Orlando and what really happened between him and his bachelorette pick, Jessica...
Do you go back to University of Florida often?
“Yeah, I usually go back at least once or twice a year. I’m actually going back there in about two or three weeks. I’m going to go back and just kind of visit. There is a new coach now and he has kind of changed football around there a little bit. So I’m just kind of curious to go back and see what that’s like, but I’m still a big fan.”
Do you live in Orlando now?
“I just bought a place in Orlando a week ago. I can’t sleep there yet -no furniture and the walls are being painted. I have mattresses though. I’m definitely roughing it, but I love it. I love the area; my parents lived here when I was in college and have been here a lot. I love Orlando.”
Do you make it to many Magic games?
“In the off-season; but our off-seasons are so short so whenever I come home I always try to come see a couple of games. It’s a good venue to come to, it’s a lot of energy, and it’s a good team this year too, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Who’s your favorite magic player?
“I like the Franchise but you know what, I love Jameer Nelson. He’s fantastic, I think he’s great.”
Are you an NBA fan?
“Absolutely, sure.”
Do you keep up with the NBA at all during your season?
“Yeah, when I’m in New York we go to some Knicks games and some Nets games, that’s really the only basketball we get to see.”
What made you decide to be on The Bachelor?
“It was a great opportunity, a great experience. Something that I knew I would look back on since I obviously had never done anything in that realm before. It was just a lot of fun, really and to be able to share the experience with my parents, teammates and friends and stuff.”
Did you really think that you would find your wife on the show?
“I was certainly opened-minded about it. I definitely didn’t cancel it out. I think it’s difficult, obviously, to meet someone only a couple of times and make a big decision like that, but I was very open-mined about it, extremely open-minded about it.”
What really happened between you and Jessica?
“We just dated for a couple of months, it was kind of a long distance thing and we just couldn’t make it through. She was in L.A., I was in New York. I was in football season and we were practicing and stuff and it just didn’t work out.”
Which bachelor do you think Jen will choose in this season’s The Bachelorette?
“I haven’t seen it.”
A lot of women would like to know, are you a “bachelor” now?
“I’m going to be a priest at the rate I’m going (laughing)! I’m still very open-minded; it’s just hard to date during the season playing sports. It’s a time constraint – you don’t really have too many days off, you only have nights off and you really can’t spend as much time as you would like. Right now I’m just trying to travel and am obviously busy with the new house and just staying busy that way. But I really do need some help decorating, I really do.”
Would you do a show like The Bachelor again?
“Oh absolutely. It was a great experience. I think you have to be very open-minded and very comfortable in your own skin and secure with yourself. If you are, it’s a great experience. It was a lot of fun.”
Teyah Townsend in an intern in the Magic's Communications department.
Do you go back to University of Florida often? “Yeah, I usually go back at least once or twice a year. I’m actually going back there in about two or three weeks. I’m going to go back and just kind of visit. There is a new coach now and he has kind of changed football around there a little bit. So I’m just kind of curious to go back and see what that’s like, but I’m still a big fan.”
Do you live in Orlando now?
“I just bought a place in Orlando a week ago. I can’t sleep there yet -no furniture and the walls are being painted. I have mattresses though. I’m definitely roughing it, but I love it. I love the area; my parents lived here when I was in college and have been here a lot. I love Orlando.”
Do you make it to many Magic games?
“In the off-season; but our off-seasons are so short so whenever I come home I always try to come see a couple of games. It’s a good venue to come to, it’s a lot of energy, and it’s a good team this year too, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Who’s your favorite magic player?
“I like the Franchise but you know what, I love Jameer Nelson. He’s fantastic, I think he’s great.”
Are you an NBA fan?
“Absolutely, sure.”
Do you keep up with the NBA at all during your season?
“Yeah, when I’m in New York we go to some Knicks games and some Nets games, that’s really the only basketball we get to see.”
What made you decide to be on The Bachelor?
“It was a great opportunity, a great experience. Something that I knew I would look back on since I obviously had never done anything in that realm before. It was just a lot of fun, really and to be able to share the experience with my parents, teammates and friends and stuff.”
Did you really think that you would find your wife on the show?
“I was certainly opened-minded about it. I definitely didn’t cancel it out. I think it’s difficult, obviously, to meet someone only a couple of times and make a big decision like that, but I was very open-mined about it, extremely open-minded about it.”
What really happened between you and Jessica?
“We just dated for a couple of months, it was kind of a long distance thing and we just couldn’t make it through. She was in L.A., I was in New York. I was in football season and we were practicing and stuff and it just didn’t work out.”
Which bachelor do you think Jen will choose in this season’s The Bachelorette?
“I haven’t seen it.”
A lot of women would like to know, are you a “bachelor” now?
“I’m going to be a priest at the rate I’m going (laughing)! I’m still very open-minded; it’s just hard to date during the season playing sports. It’s a time constraint – you don’t really have too many days off, you only have nights off and you really can’t spend as much time as you would like. Right now I’m just trying to travel and am obviously busy with the new house and just staying busy that way. But I really do need some help decorating, I really do.”
Would you do a show like The Bachelor again?
“Oh absolutely. It was a great experience. I think you have to be very open-minded and very comfortable in your own skin and secure with yourself. If you are, it’s a great experience. It was a lot of fun.”
Teyah Townsend in an intern in the Magic's Communications department.
