 Parks in 2008 | |||||||||
| No. 81, 83 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Wide receiver •Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1941-12-25)December 25, 1941 Muenster, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | August 8, 2019(2019-08-08) (aged 77) Austin, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Abilene (Abilene, Texas) | ||||||||
| College | Texas Tech | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1964: 1st round,1st overall pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft | 1964: 4th round, 32nd overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
David Wayne Parks (December 25, 1941 – August 8, 2019)[1] was an American professionalfootballwide receiver andtight end in theNational Football League (NFL). He was the first overall selection in the1964 NFL draft out ofTexas Technological College (nowTexas Tech University). Parks was selected to threePro Bowls, and was an All-Pro selection two times. In 1965 he captured the "triple crown" of receiving, leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. In 2008 Parks was selected to be enshrined in theCollege Football Hall of Fame.
Parks attendedAbilene High School (Abilene, Texas) and played for head coachChuck Moser.[2]
Parks played at the college level for theTexas Tech Red Raiders in 1961–1963.[3] While at Texas Tech, Parks set several school records and earned many accolades. During his junior season in 1962, Parks was named an All-Southwest Conference selection.
Following his final season in 1963, Parks became the first player in Texas Tech history to be named anAssociated PressAll-American,[4] and also earned selections fromSporting News,Time,Boston Recorder-American,Sports Extra, theAmerican Football Coaches Association, andFootball Weekly.[3] Additionally, Parks received invitations to theEast West Shrine Game, theSenior Bowl, and theCoaches All-America Game.
Upon his graduation, Parks held the school records for career receptions (80), single-season receptions (32), single game receptions (8 vs. Kansas State in 1963), and single game receiving yards (132 vs Kansas State in 1963).[3] His record for longest interception return of 98 yards that occurred during a1962 game versusColorado still remains a school record.[5]
Parks was one of only five Texas Tech players to have their jerseys retired and along withE.J. Holub,Donny Anderson,Gabe Rivera, andZach Thomas. He was named to the inaugural class of the Texas Tech Ring of Honor, which honors the players by engraving their names into a ring aroundJones AT&T Stadium, and has been the only Red Raider selected as the 1st overall pick of the NFL Draft.[6]
Parks was voted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2008, joining fellow Red RaidersDonny Anderson,Hub Bechtol,E. J. Holub, andGabriel Rivera.[7] Parks was also inducted into theTexas Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.[4]
Parks was the first overall selection of the1964 NFL draft by theSan Francisco 49ers. He was one of only three people to be drafted No. 1 as a wide receiver, alongsideIrving Fryar in 1984 andKeyshawn Johnson in 1996. Six games into hisrookie season, Parks set a franchise record for longest reception with an 83-yard catch, followed by the team's second longest reception, an 80-yarder, a week later. Both records stood for 13 years.[8] In 1965, he achieved thereceiving triple crown, leading theNational Football League in receptions with 80, receiving yards with 1,344, and receiving touchdowns with 12. For his performance, he was selected to the1965 Pro Bowl and was named to the1965 All-Pro Team. He was named to the1966 All-Pro Team and went on to attend the1966 Pro Bowl and the1967 Pro Bowl.
After playing his option year with the49ers in 1967, Parks signed as afree agent with theNew Orleans Saints in 1968. In the second of only four times the NFL exercised theRozelle rule, the 49ers receivedKevin Hardy and a1969 first-round selection (7th overall–Ted Kwalick) as compensation.[9][10] He spent five seasons with the Saints.
In 1973, he played for the Houston Oilers, and retired after the season.[8] He ended his career with 360 receptions, 5,619 receiving yards, a 15.6 average, and 44 touchdowns.[11]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1964 | SF | 14 | 14 | 36 | 703 | 19.5 | 83 | 8 |
| 1965 | SF | 14 | 14 | 80 | 1,344 | 16.8 | 53 | 12 |
| 1966 | SF | 13 | 13 | 66 | 974 | 14.8 | 65 | 5 |
| 1967 | SF | 9 | 9 | 26 | 313 | 12.0 | 43 | 2 |
| 1968 | NO | 10 | 10 | 25 | 258 | 10.3 | 41 | 0 |
| 1969 | NO | 14 | 14 | 31 | 439 | 14.2 | 40 | 3 |
| 1970 | NO | 13 | 11 | 26 | 447 | 17.2 | 38 | 2 |
| 1971 | NO | 14 | 13 | 35 | 568 | 16.2 | 42 | 5 |
| 1972 | NO | 12 | 9 | 32 | 542 | 16.9 | 66 | 6 |
| 1973 | HOU | 5 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 12 | 1 |
| Career | 118 | 107 | 360 | 5,619 | 15.6 | 83 | 44 | |
He lived inAustin, Texas, and served as the associate director of the Texas Ranger Law Enforcement Organization. Parks would go on to invent the 'Speedy Weedy', a lawn and garden tool.[1] Parks died on August 7, 2019, aged 77.[12][13]