Before guys made the NFL and before they became consistent starters or better in college, someone found them in high school. With that in mind, we’re starting a series called Recruiting Tales, where we chat with the main college recruiter of a Detroit Lions player.

Past Recruiting Tales: TE Joseph Fauria

Ashlee Palmer has been a linebacker and a core special-teams player for the Detroit Lions the past five seasons, but did you know Palmer, who played at Compton Community College in California and then Ole Miss was originally headed to Washington?

Palmer landed at Ole Miss because of then-defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, who recruited him to Oxford, Mississippi, along with then-head coach Ed Orgeron.

Now the defensive line coach at North Carolina State, Nielsen described recruiting Palmer, who has nine tackles, two pass breakups and 1.5 sacks for the Lions this season.

How did you find Ashlee?

Ryan Nielsen: We were at Ole Miss in 2006 and we needed a safety. I’m from California and coach (Ed Orgeron), being at USC so many years, recruited that area heavily. We were going through a junior college list of the top safeties and he said, “I know Ashlee.” Being from California and recruiting there, I went out and started recruiting him. It all started on a junior college list that Kent McLeod, he was our in-house guy, and he got the list together and it went from there.

What was it on his film that jumped out?

Nielsen: All of the things he did. We went back to his high school film. It was easy. He was very fluid, offense, defense, running around, hitting people. Total package. We felt he could come in and play immediately because of all of the things he did on the field. In recruiting, that’s what you’re looking for, a guy who can do a lot of things and make an immediate impact is what we were looking for.

He had initially committed to Washington, so he had Division I talent out of high school. When you see him, what’s that conversation because JUCO is different?

Nielsen: Our thing was playing time. We were in a situation where we needed guys to come in and make immediate impacts. The guy is a heck of an athlete. Did a bunch of stuff in high school. Did a bunch of stuff in college. Pretty long guy. It was just a “Hey, you can come here, play at Ole Miss and make an impact immediately.” He was intrigued by that.

What was the most interesting thing recruiting him?

Nielsen: He made it easy. He was interested in us. I had a home visit with his mom and she was fantastic. Sat in his house a couple of times. Sometimes it’s hard to get a hold of the guys but he was interested in Ole Miss as much as we were with him, especially with what was going on with other schools. Interesting in that where he’s from and all that he’s been through, going here and going there and junior college and all those things, a heck of a guy. Very, very easy guy to recruit.

You sat with his mom, what’s his mom like?

Nielsen: He always said my mom’s got to be OK with it, that kind of deal. I went to the house the first time and we must have sat down for two hours, you know. We were in the living room and it was a day visit. Just kind of getting to know each other. Being from California, we already had something in common, which was kind of easy. Start from there and continue the conversation. She wanted to know her son was going to be OK, get a great education and we could provide that for him. She was good with that. Talking with Coach O and the relationships with the people on the staff, very, very easy for her to say, OK, I’ll let my son go there.