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Alex Palczewski

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Alex Palczewski
refer to caption
Palczewski with Illinois in 2022
No. 63 – Denver Broncos
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1999-08-03) August 3, 1999 (age 25)
Mount Prospect, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:314 lb (142 kg)
Career information
High school:Prospect
(Mount Prospect, Illinois)
College:Illinois (2017–2022)
Undrafted:2023
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2024
Games played:5
Games started:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Alex Andrzej Palczewski (/pɑːlˈtʃɛvski/ pahl-CHEV-skee;[1] born August 3, 1999) is an Polish-American professional football offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Palczewski played college football at Illinois[2] where he was named a college football All-American for the 2022 season.[3][4]

Early life

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Palczewski was born in Mount Prospect, Illinois to Andrzej and Bozena Palczewski, both immigrants from communist Poland who moved to the United States in the mid-1980s.[5] His father worked as a carpenter and his mother worked as a nurse.[5] Palczewski grew up speaking Polish, and was still learning English pronunciations through the third grade.[5] Before football, he played soccer as a goalie.[5] Palczewski competed in amateur wrestling throughout the course of his time in high school. He also spent two years each in water polo and track and field.[6] In his junior year at Prospect, Palczewski received his first scholarship offer made by the Virginia Military Institute. Rated a three-star athlete, Palczewski received interest from North Carolina, North Carolina State, Minnesota, Michigan State and Indiana. He received offers from Syracuse, Vanderbilt and Illinois.[7] Sports writers suggested Palczewski's recruitment potential might have been negatively effected by his absence from his junior season due to a neck injury including a fractured vertebrae.[5][8]

College career

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Choosing loyalty to his home state, Palczewski committed to Illinois.[8] He began his first season in 2017. After missing the opening game, Palczewski joined Vederian Lowe and Larry Boyd in making college history as Illinois' first-ever true freshmen starters on the offensive line. He played as a starting guard in the last 11 games of the season.[6] In the 2018 season, Palczewski played as a starting right tackle for all 12 games. During his sophomore season, Palczewski was named to the All-Big Ten first team.[6] He continued in this role for his junior season in 2019, starting in all 13 games.[6] During the 2020 season as a senior, Palczewski played as starting right tackle for four games before missing the season's final four games due to injury. Despite this, he earned Big Ten third team honors.

During the 2021 season, Palczewski played seven games as a starting tackle and five games as a starting guard. After playing in all 12 games, he earned Big Ten third team honors. For his final senior season in 2022, he returned to his starting right tackle position and played in all 13 games. For his performances, Palczewski collected numerous All-American and Big Ten honors including being named to first, second and third teams. He also served as team captain for the season.[6] Palczewski graduated with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 2021.[6]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 6+1⁄2 in
(1.99 m) 		303 lb
(137 kg) 		33+5⁄8 in
(0.85 m) 		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 5.28 s 1.75 s 3.00 s 4.57 s 7.74 s 28.5 in
(0.72 m)		 8 ft 7 in
(2.62 m)		 22 reps
All values from Pro Day[9]

Palczewski was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023. He was placed on injured reserve on August 31, 2023.[10] He was activated on January 6, 2024.[11]

Palczewski made his first start in Week 3 of the 2024 season, taking over for an injured Mike McGlinchey.[12][13] It was reported on October 8, 2024, Palczewski suffered a high-ankle sprain during the successful game against Las Vegas Raiders.[14]

Personal life

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Palczewski has two brothers.[5] Throughout his college and NFL careers, he has gone by the nickname "Palcho" due to his Polish surname being difficult for his teammates and coaches to pronounce.[1][13] During his Illinois senior season in 2021 Palczewski co-presided over Lift for Life, a local charity group whose cause is to raise money and awareness for people battling rare diseases.[15] Palczewski named Ivan Drago as his favorite athlete, acknowledging while Drago is fictional, he admired Drago's decision not to express himself through words but through his athletic talent and work ethic.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b Big Ten Network (November 1, 2022). Spotlighting Illinois' Alex Palczewski | Big Ten Football | The Journey. Retrieved September 27, 2024 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ "Alex Palczewski". ESPN. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  3. ^ "Three Illini named AFCA All-Americans". The Edwardsville Intellingencer. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Bement, Brice. "Witherspoon, Palczewski and Brown named AFCA All-Americans". WCIA.com. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Ryan, Shannon (September 6, 2019). "'I'm Polish and super proud of it': Illinois offensive tackle Alex Palczewski inherited his blue-collar work ethic from his immigrant parents". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Fighting Illini" Profile. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "247Sports" Recruitment Profile. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Three-star OL Alex Palczewski commits to Illinois Football over Vanderbilt and Syracuse". Vainisi, Jim. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Alex Palczewski College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  10. ^ DiLalla, Aric (August 31, 2023). "Broncos sign NT Mike Purcell, CB Fabian Moreau and T Quinn Bailey, place three players on injured reserve". DenverBroncos.com.
  11. ^ DiLalla, Aric (January 6, 2024). "Broncos promote CB Art Green, activate T Alex Palczewksi from IR, elevate S Devon Key for Week 18 vs. Raiders". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  12. ^ Melendrez Stapleton, Arnie (September 18, 2024). "Mike McGlinchey is on IR so Alex Palczewski is set for 1st NFL start after 65 starts at Illinois". AP News. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Weir, Susanna (September 18, 2024). "Broncos Notebook: T Alex Palczewski set to make first NFL start". Denver Broncos. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  14. ^ "Broncos RT Alex Palczewski Suffers High-Ankle Sprain". Kelberman, Zack. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  15. ^ "Illinois' Alex Palczewski leads Lift for Life group to victory while raising money for good cause" Article by Boyd, James. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
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