Carson Palmer returns to Coliseum for first time since clinching Heisman Trophy there
It was a performance for the ages — and it clinched the Heisman Trophy for Carson Palmer.
On Nov. 30, 2002, Palmer passed for 425 yards and four touchdowns to lead sixth-ranked USC to a 44-13 victory over seventh-ranked Notre Dame at the Coliseum.
The victory propelled USC to what would be the first of seven consecutive major bowl games and sent Palmer to New York’s Downtown Athletic Club, where he became the first USC quarterback to be recognized as college football’s most outstanding player.
“Just a game I’ll never forget,” Palmer said Wednesday.
On Sunday, Palmer returns to the Coliseum for the first time — as a player or spectator — since that Notre Dame game.
The quarterback will lead the Arizona Cardinals against the Rams in the season finale for both teams.
Palmer, who turned 37 on Tuesday, has logged plenty of mileage since he parlayed that 2002 USC season into becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 13 NFL seasons with the Bengals, Oakland Raiders and Cardinals, Palmer has passed for 44,014 yards and 282 touchdowns, with 179 interceptions.
Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff, like Palmer a No. 1 overall pick, said he received a Palmer Bengals jersey as a Christmas gift when he was about 10 years old.
“One of the few quarterbacks that’s gone from multiple teams and done pretty good at all of the them,” Goff said. “That’s hard to do.”
Palmer never thought he would get the chance to play again in the stadium where he starred for the Trojans.
On Wednesday, during a teleconference with reporters, Palmer recalled his first time at the Coliseum as a USC recruit.
“I just remember being in awe of the stadium — that’s how big it was,” he said.
Having a chance to go back and play there again is something I never, ever thought would have happened.
— Carson Palmer, on playing again in the Coliseum
Palmer spoke of coming out of the Coliseum tunnel, seeing the peristyle end of the stadium and fulfilling a childhood dream of playing there.
Now, he returns.
“Having a chance to go back and play there again is something I never, ever thought would have happened,” he said. “Even when there was talks of a team moving to L.A., I just, for whatever reason, was thinking maybe they’ll go to the Rose Bowl, or they’ll build a stadium.
“Lo and behold that it ends up being a division opponent, and getting a chance to finish off the year and play there is really special to me.”
Palmer is in his fourth season with the Cardinals. After leading them to the NFC title game last season, the Cardinals are 6-8-1.
Palmer has passed for 23 touchdowns, with 13 interceptions.
Last week, in a 34-31 victory at Seattle, he completed 16 of 26 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown.
Coach Bruce Arians said Palmer was victimized early this season by injuries and illnesses suffered by receivers that prevented them from playing “up to their standard” and helping the quarterback.
“But the last month he’s been playing lights out,” Arians said.
The Rams defeated the Cardinals, 17-13, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Week 4. Palmer passed for 288 yards and a touchdown but had one pass intercepted and was sacked three times. He was knocked out of the game and put into concussion protocol, sitting out the next game.
The Rams have won only once since that Oct. 2 victory.
Palmer described the Rams as “a very physical group” with a very good defense.
“One of the better defenses in the league and would be much higher ranked if some things had gone the other way on the other side of the ball,” he said.
Palmer said a handful of family members and some friends who live in California will be among his guests at Sunday’s game.
The homecoming also could possibly be the last time Palmer plays for the Cardinals at the Coliseum.
He said last week that he expected to play in 2017, the final year of his contract. But when asked Wednesday about those comments he said that “nothing’s for sure.”
“I love playing the game, I love preparing, I enjoy, even over Christmas weekend, breaking down film and looking at film and looking at the last game we played against them and their last four or five games,” Palmer said. “All of those little things I enjoy doing.
“But, you never know, who knows? Nothing is for sure, like I said. As long as my body will let me play and as long as I enjoy all the little things that come with just playing on Sunday.”
And this Sunday has significance.
“Where it all started,” he said.
Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @latimesklein
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