Longwood lineman Palmer powerful and quick
Longwood High School offensive lineman Omari Palmer (88) during practice. (Sept. 21, 2011) Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
The yellow cushions are placed about a yard apart on the green grass of Longwood's practice field. The drill calls for linemen, on coach Joe Peterson's whistle, to race forward several steps, then backward, zigzagging between the cushions. The idea is to keep your feet moving and never, ever step on the cushions.
Some of the Lions' linemen take missteps and stumble on the cushions, prompting Peterson, the 65-year-old veteran of 41 years as an assistant coach to crack, "I had my hip replaced and I can move better than some of you guys.''
But his star pupil, 6-3, 310-pound Omari Palmer, isn't one of them. His footwork is flawless. His feet are quick; his balance is sublime. It's easy to understand why Syracuse looked beyond the bulk to find something special in the Longwood senior. As an offensive tackle, his preferred position, Palmer is a road grader, leveling everything in sight. As a defensive tackle, he's a roadblock, immovable, even against double teams.
"I love playing both sides of the ball,'' Palmer said this week, several days after the Lions defeated top-seeded Floyd, 14-12, with Palmer leading a defense that held All-Long Island running back Stacey Bedell to 54 yards and anchoring an offensive line that helped produce 214 rushing yards. "I didn't really get to play much defense last year, but I can do both and I'll do whatever it takes to help the team win.''
Most of the time, that involves treating opposing defensive linemen like a buffet breakfast -- one pancake (block) after another. Against Floyd, Palmer delivered his trademark pancake block on a defensive end, clearing the way for a 21-yard run that set up the eventual winning touchdown.
Tackles and the occasional sack are fine, but what really makes Palmer preen -- his infectious ear-to-ear smile flashes as quick as his feet -- is when he delivers a block that puts his opponent flat on the ground.
"A pancake block, that's like pure dominance,'' Palmer said, failing to suppress that smile. "You know what I mean. If it's one on one and I beat you and put you on your back, it pretty much means I'm better than you, and there are no ifs, ands or buts about it.''
His blocks are a product of power, sure. After all, he does weigh more than 300 pounds and is usually the biggest man on the field by far. But there's skill to his game, as well.
"What's most impressive, other than his sheer size, is his athletic ability. He's got great feet,'' Longwood coach John Murphy said. "We can pull with him and get him on the perimeter with screens and tosses. He's just a great athlete for his size.''
Peterson said he delayed his full-time retirement to Florida for one more year just so he could coach Palmer and two other standout Lions on the line -- Darius Greene and Kevin Perretta.
"He's such a good kid. He's outgoing and the kids love him. Works hard. Very athletic for a person his size,'' Peterson said of Palmer. "Good feet. That's what the colleges like. They can fix his stance to what they want because he's so coachable. The biggest improvement came on defense since his junior year. His down-the-line pursuit improved tremendously. You could see that he could move and that people weren't going to move him. Now, he doesn't like to come off the field.''
Palmer said Syracuse has indicated they view him as an offensive guard, so this is the last season he's likely to be making any tackles and the last season in which his size will be a distinct advantage.
"I know that in college, I can't just use brute force,'' Palmer said. "There will be other players my size, so I know that technique will matter. The little things are the difference between being a good player and being a great player. Right now, I feel like I'm a good player trying to become great.''
He's already a great teammate, a Pied Piper to the younger players in practice and a very vocal cheerleader to the veterans during games, when he takes a rare play off.
"I'm still in high school. College is later. Right now, it's all about this team,'' Palmer said. "I'm a Longwood Lion, not a Syracuse Orange.''
