The Big Lead

Chris Simms Says ABC Approached Him to Be the Bachelor Before Going With Jesse Palmer

Kyle Koster
Chris Simms telling Odell Beckham how he would have conducted a rose ceremony.
Chris Simms telling Odell Beckham how he would have conducted a rose ceremony. / Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
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Before he was a staple on ABC/ESPN's college football coverage, Jesse Palmer was a memorable and overall likable Bachelor lead. As everyone knows, he picked Jessica but did not propose and the couple broke up a few months later. But season five of the series could have been vastly different and featured a hunk with lighter -- and less perfect -- hair.

Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show this morning, NBC Sports' Chris Simms revealed the show approached him for the position before ultimately deciding on Palmer.

Simms did not explore the opportunity because he knew Jon Gruden wouldn't have liked it. Patrick pointed out that Palmer proceeded even though his coach, Tom Coughlin, is one of the NFL's all-time hardasses.

It seems safe to say that ABC ended up with the more intriguing choice. This news also hammers home just how long the program has been going hard in the paint for football players -- particularly quarterbacks -- with Southern ties to participate.

That formula is not and has not been broke, so why fix it?

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