Former Syracuse Football player Omari Palmer looking to break out in WWE

As a member of the Syracuse Orange offensive line Omari Palmer worked with his teammates to protect the quarterback. Now he’s on his own and looking to break out in the world of professional wrestling. Competing under the in-ring name of Odyssey Jones, Palmer is one of eight new wrestlers included in the NXT Breakout Tournament.

In advance of the tournament, Palmer made his television debut on 205 Live last week wearing in-ring attire that certainly shows his Syracuse connection and we’ll have to see if he sticks with the orange and blue moving forward.

Palmer trained at the WWE Performance Center and made his in-ring debut back in 2019 so to be in this position within two years is a testament to his athletic ability and his personality. Palmer set a deadlift record at the WWE training facility and seems headed towards a push as a dominating force in the ring. He’s being listed with an in-ring weight of 405 pounds which is 100 more than his Syracuse playing days. Palmer follows in the footsteps of other Syracuse football alums Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, Mike Rotunda, and Quinn Ojinnaka who all traded in their cleats for boots.

This is the 2nd edition of the NXT Breakout Tournament as one was held in 2019 and of the eight competitors, seven are still active on the WWE/NXT rosters. Being included in this event is a sign that Palmer is viewed as someone with a bright future in the business with CageSide Seats pointing out that he’s being marketed like WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry.

You can catch Omari on his odyssey during NXT broadcasts which air on Tuesday nights on the USA Network.