De'Mond Parker
| Date of birth | December 24, 1976 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Tulsa, OK |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | RB |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Weight | 189 lb (86 kg) |
| College | Oklahoma |
| NFL draft | 1999 / Round: 5 / Pick: 159 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1999–2000 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2001 | Detroit Lions |
| Career stats | |
| |
De'Mond Keith Parker (born December 24, 1976 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) was an American football running back for the Oklahoma Sooners, one of their all-time greats, that had a limited career in the National Football League. He was an All-America level like, if not Heisman quality, talent of RB known for long range runs through using highly rare speed and agility that helped make up for his small stature.
Career
Parker was an exceptional natural runner, even in his youth. As a fourth grader at Walt Whitman Elementary in Tulsa, he ran a 5:20 mile, and a 10 second 50 yard dash. Parker was asthmatic in his youth, a seeming irony that such a gifted athlete would be afflicted with such a condition.
Parker was a standout for the Booker T. Washington Hornets in Tulsa. As a true freshman at Oklahoma, Parker gained over 1000 yards. He accomplished that feat in each of his three seasons. All three of his seasons rank in the top 20 all-time at Oklahoma.[1]
Parker racked up 291 yards in the 1997 Red River Shootout. Outrushing eventual Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams, Parker established the record for the most yards in a single OU-Texas game.[2]
Parker played for the Sooners from 1996 to 1998, and is the Sooners' sixth all-time leading rusher.[3]
When Bob Stoops became the third head coach in Parker's tenure at Oklahoma in 1999, Parker decided to forgo his senior season, despite several attempts by Stoops to keep him with the team.[4] He was taken by the Green Bay Packers with the 159th overall pick in the 5th round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Packers GM Ron Wolf said during his rookie year that he was the fastest player on the team. In his only NFL start in 1999, Parker rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns. He later joined the Detroit Lions, but did not play.
College statistics
| Season | Yards | Att | TD | Y/A | 100Y | 200Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,184 | 180 | 10 | 6.58 | 6 | 1 |
| 1997 | 1,143 | 194 | 6 | 5.89 | -- | 2 |
| 1998 | 1,076 | 205 | 5 | 5.25 | 6 | 2 |
| Career | 3,403 | 579 | 21 | 5.88 | 16 | 5 |
References
- ↑ "Season Rushing Records". Soonerstats.com. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ↑ "Red River Shootout Records". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ↑ "Career Rushing Records". Soonerstats.com. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ↑ "De'Mond Parker's choices make for cautionary tale". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2013-07-01.