Friends, co-workers and classmates of Nate Palmer are still processing what happened and how to react to it. Living in what Palmer described as "the heart of Bears Country," the Green Bay Packers' sixth-round draft pick has suddenly joined up with the enemy, leaving those around him a bit conflicted.
"Every time I see someone now, they say, 'I'm going to cheer for you, but not the team,'" Palmer said in an interview with FOXSportsWisconsin.com. "I told them you can't get one without the other. A few of my friends who were Bears fans said they're going to jump on the Packers' bandwagon."
Up until only a couple weeks ago, Palmer was just like his friends, actively rooting against Green Bay.
"I've always been a Bears fan," Palmer said. "Times have changed. Right now, you can't be a fan anymore. The fan in you has to go away for this process."
Palmer is making himself an easy target for those he's come across in Illinois since the draft. The team gave him a hat and T-shirt, and Palmer has been wearing the green and gold Packers hat every day on campus and around his hometown.
"People keep telling me I've got the wrong hat on," Palmer said.
One of his co-workers at an internship in Illinois went beyond just criticizing his choice in headwear. A woman named Christie left a note on Palmer's desk after he returned to the office the week following the draft.
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"As a loyal Bears fan, I'm sorry to say that I can no longer speak to or work with you," the note read, which Palmer posted on his Twitter account. "I feel betrayed."
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