BOULDER — Six players on the Colorado roster have ties to Florida, but nobody could be more excited about the Buffaloes’ trip to Jacksonville this weekend to play Florida State than redshirt freshman Josh Hartigan, a reserve linebacker.
Hartigan’s father, Sterling Palmer, starred for FSU as a linebacker/defensive end from 1989-92 and became a fourth-round draft choice of the Washington Redskins, for whom he played four seasons.
This will be the first time Palmer has watched his son play in a college game.
“That’s pretty cool,” said Josh Hartigan, who played high school football at Northeast in Fort Lauderdale. “My mom came out (to Boulder) for a game last year, but my dad wasn’t able to make any. But I was redshirting, anyway. Dad played at FSU, but he’s going to root for us. He’s on my side now.”
Other CU players with ties to the Sunshine State include starting punter Matt DiLallo (Wellington); offensive tackle Mike Iltis (Sarasota), who is out for the season with a knee injury; tailback Kevin Moyd (Miami); and tailback Darrell Scott and Josh Smith, who were born in Tallahassee, not far from the FSU campus, but played high school football in California.
Iltis said the visibility CU will derive from playing in Jacksonville could help the Buffs lure recruits from Florida.
“Getting players from there to take a chance on Colorado and making a visit is the toughest thing,” Iltis said. “But once they get out here and see this place, I think that will change things. Word will spread and open up more opportunities.”
Footnotes.
Freshman starting offensive guard Max Tuioti-Mariner is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in Tuesday’s practice. . . . This will be Colorado’s second trip to Jacksonville. The 1972 Buffaloes lost 24-3 to Auburn in the Gator Bowl.
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
