Jesse Palmer Jesse James Palmer ( born October 5 , 1978 ) is a Canadian sports commentator and former college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League ( NFL ) for four seasons in the early 2000s . Palmer played college football for the University of Florida , and thereafter , he played professionally for the New York Giants of the NFL before spending half of the 2006 season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) . Palmer was cast in 2004 as the bachelor on the fifth season of the reality television series " The Bachelor " . He is now a college football analyst for ESPN / ABC in the U . S . and a football analyst for TSN in Canada . Early years . Palmer was born in Toronto , Ontario , and raised in the city of Nepean , Ontario , a suburb of Ottawa . He attended St . Pius X High School in Ottawa . His father , Bill Palmer , played for the Ottawa Rough Riders . His mother , Susan Palmer , was a prominent fashion and print model , and former owner of the original ITM International Top Models a modeling agency and training centre located in Ottawa ON Canada , the agency eventually became IMM International Model Management . College career . Palmer received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville , Florida , where he played for coach Steve Spurrier ' s Florida Gators football team from 1997 to 2000 . Palmer often alternated playing time with quarterback Doug Johnson , and later , with quarterback Rex Grossman . Memorably , he connected with Bo Carroll on a 75 - yard touchdown pass play , and rushed for four touchdowns against the Kentucky Wildcats in 2000 . As a senior , he was selected as one of the team captain s and received the Gators ' Fergie Ferguson Award , recognizing the " senior football player who displays outstanding leadership , character and courage . " He finished his four - year college career with 3 , 755 passing yards . Palmer graduated from the University of Florida in 2001 with two undergraduate degree s : a bachelor of arts in political science from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences , and a bachelor of science in marketing from the College of Business Administration . Professional football career . NFL . Palmer was chosen by the New York Giants in the fourth round ( 125th overall pick ) of the 2001 NFL Draft , and he played for the Giants for four seasons from to . As a Giants quarterback , he spent most of his NFL career as a backup behind starter Kerry Collins . After a four - year stint as a backup quarterback , Palmer was cut on September 2 , 2005 by the Giants . Jesse Palmer was the second Canadian ( behind Mark Rypien of the Washington Redskins ) to start at the quarterback position in the NFL . CFL . At first , wanting to stay in the game , he looked to the Canadian Football League for employment . His rights were held by the Montreal Alouettes ; however , the Ottawa Renegades tried to acquire the Ottawa native as their top quarterback , and Palmer expressed interest in playing for his home town . Palmer ' s agent reportedly asked for a three - year contract in the neighborhood of $ 660 , 000 per year , which would have made Jesse the highest paid player in the league . Attempting to locate another opportunity to stay in the NFL , Palmer worked out with the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders and was temporarily signed by the San Francisco 49ers on November 1 , 2005 as injuries plagued their quarterbacks Alex Smith and Ken Dorsey . Shortly after Dorsey and then Smith returned from injury Palmer was released , without playing a down . Palmer was re - signed a few months later by the 49ers during the 2006 off - season but was later released on August 29 , 2006 toward the end of training camp . On September 11 , 2006 , the Montreal Alouettes signed him to their developmental roster . Palmer did not dress for a game with Montreal . He retired from the CFL before the start of the 2007 season to pursue a broadcasting career . " The Bachelor " . In the spring of 2004 , Palmer appeared on " The Bachelor " television program and he made himself the first non - American bachelor , in which he was given his choice of eligible single women . He accidentally forgot one woman ' s name during the first rose ceremony . He eventually selected Jessica Bowlin , but their courtship lasted for only a few months after the end of the show . Broadcasting career . Palmer was a color commentator for Fox for two games late in the 2005 season , and returned to the booth on November 26 , 2006 . On April 25 , 2007 , Palmer appeared on the NFL Network as an analyst and commentator for the weekend ' s NFL Draft . On May 24 , 2007 , Palmer announced his retirement from the Canadian Football League to pursue a broadcasting career with Fox . Palmer works for ESPN as a studio analyst on College Football Live and ABC telecasts , usually appearing with fellow Canadian John Saunders . He is a game analyst on ESPN Thursday Night College football games . He is also co - host on The Palmer and Pollack Show on ESPNU with former Georgia defensive end , David Pollack . Palmer is also New York correspondent for CTV ' s entertainment news program , eTalk , covering both sports and entertainment events , including the Super Bowl and the 79th and 80th Academy Awards . Palmer was a studio analyst for ESPN ' s broadcast of the 2012 Cotton Bowl in Dallas , Texas , the 2010 Fiesta Bowl in Glendale Arizona , and the 2009 Rose Bowl in Pasadena , California . he is also an NFL analyst for TSN ' s " Monday Morning Quarterback " segment . Palmer guest starred in the " " season 7 episode " Design , " portraying professional baseball player Don Lacey . He also is the host of the food competition show Recipe To Riches entering its second season on Food Network Canada in October 2012 . Personal . Palmer has lived in Hoboken , New Jersey since 2005 .