Palmer Going Up Against His Old College Roommate

You'd be surprised at what things in Bengals Nation are considered common knowledge and what things aren't. For example, the fact that Cedric Benson finished sixth in 2004 Heisman voting behind Matt Leinart, Adrian Peterson, Jason White, Alex Smith and Reggie Bush, I think is common knowledge. Benson won the Doak Walker Award for being the best running back in college football. He won it, not Peterson or Bush.

Some not so common knowledge is that Reggie Williams, a linebacker for the Bengals from 1976 until 1990, was the only Bengals player to serve as a city councilman while he was still an active NFL player.

The fact that Carson Palmer and Troy Polamalu were college roommates while playing at USC may fall, for some, in the not so common knowledge category. It's ironic that Palmer's good college friend eventually became the star player on the defense that's been the biggest thorn in his side.

When he was asked who he would draft for his defense off of the Steelers current roster, well... you should already know what he said.

On defense? I would take Troy with my first defensive pick across the league.

He would go on to say that Polamalu is one of the most unique athletes in the NFL.

Probably going into his second year just because he didn’t play much his first year. Just trying to learn that scheme and found out where to play him. He’s such a unique athlete, it’s not like you just stick him at safety because he can do so many things well. I always thought he should return punts because when he returned punted in college, people didn’t tackle him. He’s so unique and so gifted that I think that first year it wasn’t trying to decide if he could play or not, it was trying to decide where to play him and how to play him and how to use him. So going into his second year when he was on the field all the time was probably when he improved the most.

It must be weird to play the team you hate the most when one of your best friends is staring you down from across the line of scrimmage. I don't have the competitive drive to not smile and wave like an idiot before every snap. I guess you should be glad that Palmer's the quarterback and not me.

Here's the two of them before they were forced to be mortal enemies.

Carson: "I hope we never have to hate each other"

Troy: "Me too, Carson. Me too."