The stage is set. The date is October 8th, 2021. The time is 7:00 p.m. The location is Joseph F. Pappano Field right next to Revere High School. The sport is football. The teams are the Revere Minutemen and the Copley Indians.

A game that would be played in the pouring rain. A game that would go back and forth. A game that would be defined single-handedly as the best game of the season. A game that the Minutemen would win 21-20.  A game that countless players and students would never forget.

Among these players stood Aidan Palmer, a 6’4’’ Lehigh University football commit. The senior lineman played almost every snap of the game and made a name for himself in the process. After the long game, Palmer headed home for a good night’s rest, yet there was a little surprise that awaited him. As he walked into his home, a swarm of birds flew up to him, landed on his shoulders and embraced him after a successful night on the gridiron.

Palmer houses birds, fish, dogs, cats and plenty of plants, and, on top of that, he will play division one football. Palmer recently signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and athletic career at Lehigh University. He is going on full scholarship as an offensive lineman. Palmer had this to say when talking about his future as a Mountain Hawk.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to play division one football at Lehigh University. It has been a dream of mine to play college football ever since I was a kid. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to Lehigh and their entire staff,” Palmer said.

Animals have contributed to Palmer’s everyday life in many ways. The responsibilities and life lessons that he learned by taking care of them helped him. Palmer talked about the benefit of owning multiple animals.

“There have been many life lessons that I have learned by raising my pets, such as I have to do the work in order to help them grow. The same lesson translates to the football field, where I have to do my part so my teammates can succeed. My animals have easily shaped me into the person I am today,” Palmer said.

Palmer stated that each one of his pets brings him a different kind of joy. The dogs are normally the first ones to embrace him upon his arrival home, while the birds can be the most fun since they can talk. Palmer discussed how much each animal means to him.

“I do not know what my life would be like if I did not have my animals by my side. They give me so much love and it would be crazy to not have them by my side. I love them all so much,” Palmer said.

On the other hand, Palmer also shares a deep connection with his teammates from football. Over his four years as a Revere Minuteman, Palmer credited numerous players for helping him become the athlete he is today. Palmer stressed his most important aspect any team could have.

“Team chemistry is the most important thing one could control. Everyone contributes each of their abilities so the team could win, but to do that, trust needs to be there. Everyone has to be willing to work with one another so the team can reach its full potential,” Palmer said.

Ben Christman played alongside Palmer for a couple of years. The Ohio State football sophomore commended Palmer for the work he had put in to get to where he is at now. Christman spoke about the type of person Palmer is.

“Palmer is a phenomenal player with a great talent for the game. I cannot wait to see what he can do at the next level,” Christman said.

The love of the game started at a very young age for Palmer. He gave credit to Texas Christian University’s football team for beginning his interest in football. 

“Growing up I was a huge fan of the [Texas Christian University] Horned Frogs and would watch every single game. There was something special about the game that always kept my attention. I then started playing in fifth grade. I wanted to find others who shared the same love of the game that I did, and I happened to make some of my closest friends through football,” Palmer said.

One of the friends Palmer met through football was fellow senior Quin Shephard. The two of them met during the season and immediately became inseparable. Both of them shared similar interests in sports and in life. Shephard talked about his relationship with Palmer and how he feels about his friend’s success.

“I absolutely love the guy. [Palmer] has been one of those people I can always rely on and I am very appreciative of him. I cannot wait to see what he does at Lehigh because he has worked so hard and he deserves everything he has received so far. Like I said, I simply cannot wait to see what he can do,” Shephard said.

While Palmer is excited to play football at the collegiate level, he is eager to focus on his education. He plans on going into the field of biology in order to learn more about animals and possibly become a veterinarian. Palmer explained how his love for animals may shape his career field.

“I really consider going into a [veterinarian] field because that would allow me to work with animals as a living. It would be the coolest thing in the world if I could do that. Fortunately Lehigh possesses the path to where I could become a veterinarian,” Palmer said.

The first chapter of the tale of Aidan Palmer slowly comes to an end as graduation approaches, however, it is a story that will have numerous sections written with interesting twists and turns. Only time will tell how he stacks up against the Revere football greats.