Almost two decades ago, Tony Palmer was snapping footballs to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers at Green Bay.

On the afternoon of July 11, the Midwest City, Okla., native visited Montgomery County High School to meet with the football team and its new coach, Matt Smith, during a two-hour practice under hot and humid conditions.

“It’s a blessing,” said Smith, who replaced John Klekamp as the Wildcats’ coach for the 2025 season. “He’s the top of the food chain when it comes to coaching. Obviously, he played in the league and he did it all. For him to get a chance to come out and help our kids is awesome.”

Palmer currently coaches and teaches at Rock Bridge High School. Smith contacted his brother Mike to get a hold of Palmer.

“My brother coaches at Rock Bridge, too,” Smith said. “Their sons kind of know each other. When I got the job, I called my brother and told him that I wanted to do an offensive line camp. I asked him if he knew anybody who coaches the offensive line. Of course, he knows Tony. Tony called me and he’s a down to earth guy. I talked to him for hours on the phone, picking his brain.”

Palmer played football at Mizzou from 2001-05. He was named on the all-Big 12 team three times, including his senior year, when he earned first-team honors. He was named on the All-Big 12 freshman team in the 2002 season.
Palmer, a guard, got drafted by the St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams in the seventh round in 2006. After getting cut by the Rams in the 2006 preseason, Palmer signed with the Packers. He played eight games at Green Bay before being released.

Palmer said he enjoyed his visit to Montgomery County.

“I was just here helping my guy (Smith),” he said. “He’s a great guy and I know him through his brother, Mike Smith. He asked me to come. With the relationship I have with Mike, it was a no-brainer. Whatever I can do to help.”

Smith, who worked as assistant last year before being promoted to head coach, said July 11 was the only available date Palmer could come to MCHS.

“We were going to do a varsity/junior high O-line camp, but our dates didn’t work out,” he said. “So I had to set up a practice, and he came in and helped us out.”

Even though Palmer was wearing a long sleeve T-shirt and sweatpants, the hot weather didn’t bother him.

“You couldn’t have asked for better weather,” Palmer said.

Before heading to Mizzou, Palmer turned in an outstanding high school football career at Midwest City, earning first-team all-state honors on offense and recording 133 tackles and 11 fumbles on defense.

“We had a B-52 that crashed on our football field,” said Palmer, who graduated from Midwest City in 2001. “It’s all about tradition there. You don’t play just for yourself. You play for all of the guys who came before you.”

Palmer is a coach of a Rock Bridge football program that finished with district titles in each of the last two years.