1. Derrell Palmer was an American professional football tackle who played eight seasons in the All-America Football Conference and in the National Football League, mainly with the Cleveland Browns.
16 Facts About Derrell Palmer
1. 2.
Derrell Palmer was traded to the Browns before the 1949 season and remained with the team through 1953.
3.
Derrell Palmer was inducted into TCU's hall of fame in 1978.
4.
Derrell Palmer grew up in Breckenridge, Texas and played football, baseball and was on the track and field team at Albany High School near his hometown.
5.
Derrell Palmer suffered a hip injury in high school, and doctors told him he would never play football again.
6.
Derrell Palmer graduated and enrolled at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs.
7.
Derrell Palmer played for TCU as a tackle starting in 1940, his sophomore year.
8.
Derrell Palmer continued to be a leader for TCU in 1942 and was named an All-American by sportswriters.
9.
Derrell Palmer went to Officer Candidates School and graduated as a second lieutenant.
10.
Derrell Palmer then served in the Pacific War and spent two and a half years as a military policeman at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
11.
Derrell Palmer played in 13 games in his first year with the Yankees and became a regular starter at left tackle in 1947 and 1948.
12.
Derrell Palmer, who played as a tackle on both offense and defense, saw his playing time reduced in 1948 after head coach Ray Flaherty was replaced four games into the season by Red Strader.
13.
In Cleveland, Derrell Palmer played mainly on defense, but substituted occasionally for the team's regular offensive tackles, Lou Groza and Lou Rymkus.
14.
Derrell Palmer opened the first Sherwin-Williams paint store in Cleburne, Texas and worked for the company for 32 years.
15.
Derrell Palmer served on the Cleburne city council, was president of the local Lion's Club and worked for a variety of other civic groups and projects.
16.
Derrell Palmer was inducted into TCU's hall of fame in 1978 and retired from business in 1985.