Sam Hartman's first answer was "no way."
The Washington Commanders practice-squad quarterback turned down the lead on Season 30 of "The Bachelor." Then he talked to host Jesse Palmer.
"He kind of gave me the insight of what it is, what it's not," Hartman told the Commanders website.
Palmer would understandHartman's situation better than most.
In 2004, he was a backup quarterback for the New York Giants with three NFL stars and three losses. That spring, he became the first professional athlete to lead "The Bachelor." The finale drew 13.07 million viewers.
Palmer never won an NFL game as a starter, but he has worked in national TV for 21 years since his turn on "The Bachelor."
ABC announced Hartman as the Season 30 leadon Nov. 13 on "Good Morning America."
The season premieres March 21, 2027.
Hartman is 27. He went undrafted in 2024 and has yet to play in a regular-season game. He threw 134 touchdown passes at Wake Forest and Notre Dame, the fourth-most in FBS history.
Was Jesse Palmer on 'The Bachelor'
Yes. Palmer led Season 5, which ran from April 7 to May 19, 2004. He was still on the Giants' roster.
He was born in Toronto and grew up in Nepean, Ontario, outside of Ottawa. That made him the show's first Canadian lead. He was also its first pro athlete, and at 25, its youngest Bachelor to that point.
Twenty-five women competed. Palmer chose Jessica Bowlin, a 21-year-old law student from Hunington Beach, California.
He did not propose. They broke up within months.
Jesse Palmer's NLF and college career
Palmer played quarterback at the University of Florida from 1997 to 2000 under Steve Spurrier, sharing time with Doug Johnson and Rex Grossman. His 3,755 passing yards ranks eighth in school history. His 31 touchdowns passes rank ninth.
The Giants drafted him in the fourth round in 2001, 125th overall. He spent four seasons in New York, almost all of them on the bench.
All three of his starts came in 2003. He lost all three.
His NFL career line: eight games, 63 of 120 completed passes for 562 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.
He later spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes without playing a game. He retired in 2007.
Jesse Palmer's TV career, from ESPN to 'Holiday Baking Championship'
Palmer started at CSTV in late 2005 as a college football game and studio analyst. He worked NFL games for Fox in 2006 and joined ESPN in 2007. By 2008, he was in the booth for ESPN's Thursday night games.
He later joined John Saunders in ABC's studio. In 2014, ESPN made him the lead analyst on the new SEC Network, alongside Brent Musburger.
Then the work branched out of sports. Palmer was a special contributor to "Good Morning America" from 2015 to 2017 and hosted "DailyMailTV." He took over "Holiday Baking Championship" in 2017, its fourth season, and hosted ABC's "The Proposal" in 2018.
Who is Jesse Palmer's wife?
Palmer married Emely Fardo, a Brazilian photographer and model, in 2020. They met in 2017. Their daughter was born in January 2024.
When did Jesse Palmer become host of 'The Bachelor'?
ABC named Palmer host in September 2021, starting with Season 26. He replaced Chris Harrison, who had hosted since 2002 and stepped away after his comments about race during Matt James' season.
Since then, Palmer has hosted "The Bachelorette," "Bachelor in Paradise" and "the Golden Bachelor."
The job almost cost him more than a few late nights. During Charity Lawson's "Bachorlette" season, a storm pushed the tide over a secluded beach in Fiji while he was alone on it. A boat reached him in time.
"I almost died in Fiji," he told Parade.
Hartman's challenge is less dramatic.
"I have a tough time holding conversation with one girl," he said. "Thirty is going to be pretty tough."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sam Hartman isn't the first to go from locker room to front 'The Bachelor'
