The Untold Truth Of Jesse Palmer

Few footballers have made the transition to reality TV as effortlessly as Jesse Palmer. In fact, the former quarterback began to embrace the insane world of dating shows while he was still in the NFL, famously appearing as the suitor in the fifth season of "The Bachelor" when playing for the New York Giants. After permanently waving goodbye to the locker room in 2006, Palmer kept one foot in the game as an analyst for ESPN. But he also covered the Oscars and Super Bowl for Canadian entertainment news show "eTalk," hosted Food Network contests "Recipe to Riches" and "Holiday Baking Championship," and presented ABC's "The Proposal."

Jesse Palmer proved he no longer needed to rely on reality TV for his love life in 2020, when he walked down the aisle with model Emely Fardo. But two years later, he returned to the franchise that kicked his second career off, only this time as the replacement for longtime host Chris Harrison. No better time, therefore, than to look at the sportsman-turned-screen personality's untold truth.

You might expect that a man who tried to find love in front of 13.1 million viewers would want to publicize the moment he walked down the aisle. But instead of securing a seven-figure magazine deal to cover his nuptials, former "Bachelor" suitor Jesse Palmer ended up marrying in secret! Yes, in June 2020, the one-time quarterback said "I do," not to his reality TV girlfriend Jessica Bowlin, of course — they split up not long after the fifth season aired, as previously mentioned — but to model Emely Fardo. However, the couple, who'd started dating in 2017, only made the news public over a year later.

In an October 2021 chat with People magazine, the newlyweds revealed that they'd initially planned to tie the knot in France, but following the small matter of a worldwide pandemic, had to settle for a pal's home in Connecticut: "We were only able to invite a small group of close friends that live in the greater N.Y.C. area, and that were in quarantine at the time. We had a lovely afternoon and look forward to celebrating our love with our parents and immediate families all together soon!"

Having split from Jessica Bowlin only weeks after the final rose ceremony was televised, Jesse Palmer didn't manage to find a lifelong romance on "The Bachelor." But several years later, the ABC show did match the former footballer up with a potential lifelong bromance.

Yes, during his debut season as host in 2022, Palmer developed a strong bond with the show's suitor, Clayton Echard, as the latter explained to Us Weekly: "He is somebody that, because we have very similar backgrounds, he resonated with me very quickly." Indeed, just like his new BFF, Echard also has football in his blood, having played for the University of Missouri's team, the Missouri Tigers, before experiencing a very brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks.

Echard also revealed that Palmer gave him plenty of tips about how to deal with the pressures of the TV dating game. "I think the biggest thing he told me was just, 'Stay true to yourself.' And it's not this mind-blowing advice but it was so relevant," he said, going on to explain, "It's like, 'Don't try to be anybody else. Just do this the way that you think is right. And at the end of it all, you'll be thankful that you did.'"

Many "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" viewers no doubt did a double take in 2005 when the most recent suitor from "The Bachelor" popped up as a Major League Baseball player. Yes, that really was Jesse Palmer as Don Lacey in the seventh season episode "Design," although as the star admitted, it wasn't exactly the most testing part.

Discussing his brief cameo in Dick Wolf's ever-expanding franchise with The Wrap in 2015, Palmer said, "I had to play an athlete and I had like four lines. I think the hardest one I had was 'rohypnol.' That took about 12 takes."

The former San Francisco 49er hasn't acted since, but still has ambitions to appear on the big screen, and in a 007 movie, in particular. However, it's not as Daniel Craig's replacement. "Maybe one day I can be a Canadian James Bond villain? With a Quebec French accent, which I could totally pull off!" Palmer told the outlet. The multi-talent also appeared to be throwing his hat into the ring for a future X-Men reboot in 2016, when he was convincingly transformed into the character known as Beast for "Good Morning America."

It turns out that Jesse Palmer is the man you want by your side if you ever happen to start choking on a chicken sandwich. Yes, in 2013, ESPN's College Game Day favorite Chris Fowler nearly died in embarrassing circumstances after getting part of his lunch stuck in his throat during a break in filming the Pinstripe Bowl at the Yankee Stadium. Luckily, his ex-footballer colleague was able to come to the rescue.

Fowler later revealed all on Twitter, posting, "Never before needed a Heimlich at halftime. (Or any time)! Thanks Jesse Palmer!" He added in a follow-up tweet, "Not bad to have quick thinking, ex-NFL player around when Heimlich needed. I'll take bruised ribs to avoid choking!" The broadcaster was backed up by senior coordinating producer Ed Placer, who told ESPN Front Row: "I was standing right there. Jesse, with cat-quick reflexes, reacted immediately."

Palmer then gave more details about the incident to the same site, revealing that the drama occurred in the green room behind the network's outdoor set, in full view of the stage crew. "I was watching Chris chew his food, and his eyes began to get big," he recounted. "He tried to swallow some water to clear his throat, then he had a look of panic on his face."

One of Jesse Palmer's main goals is to get the nation's kids to follow in his footsteps. Not by attempting to find true love on a heavily engineered dating show, no, but by developing a love of physical exercise. And as an ambassador for Good Sports' Equip-A-Kid initiative, the former New York Giant is determined to make sure that every child in America has the opportunity to find their sporting passion.

In a 2017 interview with Digital Journal, Palmer was keen to point out that there's a huge disparity in underprivileged communities when it comes to participation: "The No. 1 issue is the lack of access to equipment, and that is something that Good Sports has done such a great job of over the years. It helped donate $26 million in equipment, apparel and footwear, that has helped impact about five million kids across the country."

Palmer, who went on to state that there's still another five million American children who need such help, acknowledged that he'd been much luckier when growing up. "When I was a young kid, I knew that I wanted to play pro football, but by playing baseball, basketball, volleyball and track and field, it honed my skills," he said, adding, "And I made so many more friends that I wouldn't have met otherwise."

In 2015, Caitlyn Jenner was announced as the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, an accolade, which as its name suggests, is given to a sportsperson who has displayed a sense of bravery in their chosen field. Despite her Olympic gold medal victory in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics, Jenner was viewed as a controversial choice by many, with broadcaster Bob Costas calling it a "crass exploitation ploy."

However, Jesse Palmer, who was covering the ESPYS as a red carpet host, told The Wrap that the transgender athlete was a worthy winner: "It was a phenomenal choice. It is such an inspiring story demonstrating tons of courage to take that stance. I think it was a very natural fit. Over the years, that award has always gone to someone very, very deserving and it has become a historic thing."

"The Bachelor" star also dismissed all the talk that the honor should have been awarded to someone more associated with sports these days than reality TV. No doubt referring to the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" alum's Olympic triumph, Palmer said, "She is technically one of the greatest American athletes in history."

Jesse Palmer spent five seasons in the NFL, four with the New York Giants and one with the San Francisco 49ers, before enjoying a brief stint with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. But the former quarterback is likely to have made most of his fortune when he pivoted into the world of television.

Palmer was no doubt able to cash in on the popularity of "The Bachelor" after his Season 5 appearance in 2004, as he's since become a regular face on our screens, serving as an analyst for ESPN, host of various baking competitions, and even making a cameo on "Law and Order: SVU," as previously mentioned. "It was something I hadn't planned," Palmer told The Wrap of his second career in TV, calling his post-NFL moves a "natural progression." He added, "I never really had a plan B. I've been really, really fortunate, everything from football on has been icing on the cake, so I'm living my dream."

Having won a Daytime Emmy for his work with "DailyMailTV" in 2019, the in-demand star's biggest pay packet is likely to have come from his 2021 appointment as host of the show where it all began. Chris Harrison was reportedly earning $2.6 million on "The Bachelor" per annum by the time he made his exit over a controversial race row. While Palmer is unlikely to have bagged such a lucrative deal in his first season as Harrison's replacement, he's no doubt added a significant sum to his already impressive $8 million fortune, per Celebrity Net Worth.