DONOTUSE Jace Palmer

Montana: Jace starts his final collegiate season ranked among the Grizzlies career leaders in sacks and tackles for loss. His 11.5 sacks are the 20th most in school history, which his 18.5 tackles for loss tie him for 23rd.

He will be starting for the second year in a row in 2009. He is Montana’s sixth leading returning tackler. He has played in 40 career games.

2008: He was ranked fifth in the Big Sky Conference in sacks with .53 a game,
while his 0.88 tackles for loss per contest ranked him sixth. He was an honorable
mention all-league selection. His 50 tackles were the ninth most on the team.
Despite battling an injury mid-way through the season, he started in all 16
games. He led the Grizzlies in both sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (14). His five
pass deflections ranked him fifth on the team, while his two forced fumbles tied
him with four other players for the most on the squad.

2007: He played in 11 of 12 contests and had 23 tackles. His three sacks were
the third most on the team. He was moved from linebacker to defensive end
in the spring.

2006: He played in 13 games, mostly on special teams. He was moved from safety
to linebacker in the spring. He was an All-Big Sky academic team selection.

2005: He was voted as UM’s “Outstanding Scout Team Player” on defense as a
redshirt.

High School: He earned four letters in track, three in basketball, and two in
football at local Big Sky High School.

He was named first team all-state at linebacker and second team at tight end
as a senior and first team all-league both ways as a senior. He played in Montana’s annual East-West Shrine Game and was a team captain with his brother, Tyler, and two other players for the West squad. His Gary Ekegren-coached
football team went 7-4 en route to the conference championship in 2004.

He served as a team captain in football and basketball as a senior. He was
voted team MVP in track as a junior, competing in sprints and multi-events.

Personal: His major is business administration. His parents are Scott and Teresa
Palmer of Missoula. His twin brother, Tyler, is an honors candidate at wide
receiver this season at Montana. Birth date: October 5, 1986. His cousin, Colt
Palmer, lettered in football at Montana from 2001-2004.

Career Highs: He had six tackles against UC Davis last season and against Albany
in 2007. He had two sacks at Portland State in 2008 and three tackles for loss in that game. He also had two sacks against Albany two seasons ago. He had two pass deflections versus Idaho State last year. He had fumble recoveries against Montana State and Texas State last season.

Says Coach Hauck: “Jace continues to develop as a football player. He came in as a safety and then a linebacker, and now as a defensive end he has been very productive for us the past couple of years. If his sacks and tackles for loss increase this year, it would be big for our football team.”