Flowery Branch senior safety Greg Palmer calls it a good pressure. The Falcons leader in the secondary knows the window is starting to close to secure a football scholarship with only one season left to play, and he wants to make the most of it.

The two-sport standout at Flowery Branch is well aware that any future college scholarships rely on doing well in the first few games this season. Coaches from schools like Indiana, Vanderbilt, Furman, Wofford, Virginia Military Institute, Stanford, Jacksonville State and Presbyterian, among others, have all expressed interest in seeing how he performs this season before offering an official scholarship. Palmer doesn’t have any official scholarship offers yet.

“The college coaches want to see if I have the right speed to play in college,” Palmer said. “I just have to push myself out there to do well.”

The 6-foot, 180-pound strong safety plans to peak on the field this year. He said it helps make his job easier to have such a strong defensive line, that includes Division I prospect Izaan Cross, and Georgia Tech verbal commit Daniel Drummond at linebacker.

“It’s good that we have good defensive ends that collapse everything inside, and force the other team to run inside,” Palmer said.

Palmer, who recorded 84 tackles with three interceptions in 2007, has already been to senior camps at Vanderbilt and Wofford, as well as trips to Alabama-Birmingham and Furman. Flowery Branch coach Lee Shaw said that Palmer would play just the same, regardless if he had a college scholarship at stake, or not.

“Greg is a competitor regardless,” Shaw said. “He has a great motor in the secondary. ... College coaches will see the tenacity he plays the game with.”

If the right football offer doesn’t present itself to Palmer, he isn’t out of athletic options. Flowery Branch’s starting outfielder on the baseball team has considered possibly walking on to the baseball team at North Georgia College & State University as a plan B.

Palmer isn’t the only Flowery Branch defensive back receiving attention from college scouts. Senior Chris Lipscomb is getting attention from colleges, along with rising junior Rodriguez Frazier, Palmer said.