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 Parker holding the Grey Cup following the1954 championship game | |
| No. 91 | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Quarterback,running back,defensive back,kicker |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1932-01-01)January 1, 1932 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | November 7, 2006(2006-11-07) (aged 74) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Jones County Junior College Mississippi State |
| NFL draft | 1953: 27th round, 325th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| 1954–1962 | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 1963–1965 | Toronto Argonauts |
| 1968 | BC Lions |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Canadian Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1971) | |
John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker (January 1, 1932 – November 7, 2006) was an Americangridiron football player and coach. He was anAll-American incollege football and professional football player in theCanadian Football League (CFL), playing therunning back,quarterback,defensive back, andkicker positions. He is primarily known for his play with theEdmonton Eskimos. Later in his career, he played for theToronto Argonauts and theBC Lions and coached the Eskimos and Lions after his playing career ended.
Parker was named a member of theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1976, and theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 1976. In November 2006, Parker was voted third in the CFL'sTop 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports networkTSN.[1]
Parker was born on January 1, 1932, inKnoxville, Tennessee and given the name John Dickerson Flanagan. When his mother remarried, he took on the last name of her new husband, Carroll Parker.[2] He suffered through two childhood health scares. The first was when he almost died of a ruptured appendix,[3] and the second was when he suffered a flesh-eating disease that almost cost him his entire leg. Doctors wanted to amputate but Parker's mother would not allow it.[4] Parker attended Young City High School in Knoxville, and despite playing only one year of football he was named an All-City tailback. While attending high school he met and married Peggy Jo, with whom he had three children, Jackie Jr., Peggy Mae and Jerri-Jo.[5][6]
When he first graduated from high school Parker found that his college playing choices were limited because he was married, so he elected to play his first two years of college sports forJones County Junior College inEllisville, Mississippi, from 1950 to 1951. In 1951, he led the Bobcat football team to a 9–0–1 record and a state title. He was also a standout baseball player helping JCJC to a South Division title and state runner-up finish in 1951 and a state championship in 1952. He was eventually inducted into both the JCJC Sports Hall of Fame[5] and theNational Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame.[7][8] He then transferred toMississippi State University where he spent two seasons as a member of theBulldogs.
When Parker first got to Mississippi State he once again found that his married status was a limiting factor as head football coachMurray Warmath had a policy against married players. Mississippi State baseball coach, R.P. "Doc" Patty had no such policy so Parker got a baseball scholarship and joined the team, where he was an outstanding shortstop and received an offer to play for theCincinnati Reds. In 1952 the football coaches were in dire need of someone to run their new split-T offense and gave Parker a chance. Early on coaches were not impressed with Parker, but then in the final scrimmage before the opening game he tossed seven touchdowns.[3]
Nicknamed "The Fast Freight from Mississippi State",[4] he was named to the 1952 and 1953 All–Southeastern Conference teams and the1953 College Football All-America Team. In 1952, he led allNCAADivision I players in points scored, with 120.[6] Parker's 120 points were an SEC record that stood until 1992, when it was broken byGeorgia running backGarrison Hearst.[5] Parker won numerous other honors during his college career including being named theNashville Banner SECMVP in 1952 and 53, the Birmingham QB Club MVP in 1953 (an award he shared with teammateHal Easterwood, who was alineman), and being named the Atlanta Touchdown Club Back of the Year in 1953.
Parker rewrote the record books at MSU and still holds severalschool records.
In addition to the records he currently holds, Parker set several records that have since been broken and remain on the top ten list in several categories at MSU.
On top of his exploits as the Bulldog QB, Parker was also the team's leading punt returner in 1953, the leading kick returner in 1952 and 1953, and led the team in passes intercepted in 1953 with 4.[11][12]
To go along with his athletic awards, he was named to the 1953CosidaAll-Academic team. In 1976, he was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame.[13]
Once his college playing days were over Parker was drafted by both theNew York Giants of the NFL and theEdmonton Eskimos of theWestern Interprovincial Football Union (which became part of theCanadian Football League in 1958).[14] Despite being offered more money by the Giants, Parker chose to sign with the Eskimos in part because his former quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State,Darrell Royal, had become the Eskimos' head coach. Royal never actually coached Parker in Canada as he returned to Mississippi State as the head coach for the 1954 season.[3][15] At the end of his first season Giants ownerWellington Mara personally came calling with a contract worth almost twice what Parker was making with the Eskimos but Parker chose not to go to New York in part because Peggy said she liked Edmonton better.[6]
Nicknamed "Ol' Spaghetti Legs", Parker became one of the most important parts of the Eskimos dynasty of the mid-1950s. While Parker played both defence and offence, a not uncommon practice in his day, his main strength was offence, where he was both a strong runner and an excellent quarterback. This is shown by his Western All-Star selections; as a running back in 1954, 1957, and 1959, and as a quarterback in 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, and 1961. Parker won six consecutiveJeff Nicklin Memorial Trophies as the West's most outstanding player from 1956 to1961, and seven in total. He was awarded theSchenley Award as Canadian football's most outstanding player in 1957, 1958, and 1960 and was the runner-up in 1956 and 1961.
During the first three seasons of his career (1954–1956), the Eskimos won consecutiveGrey Cups. In the1954 Grey Cup, Parker made one of the most famous plays in Grey Cup history when, in the fourth quarter,Ted Tully hitMontreal Alouettes running backChuck Hunsinger forcing a fumble. Parker recovered the ball and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown, giving the Eskimos, who were a large underdog in the game, a surprise victory. Parker's 90-yard fumble return remained a Grey Cup record untilCassius Vaughn's 109-yard fumble return in the105th Grey Cup.
Following the1962 season, the Eskimos traded Parker to theToronto Argonauts for five players and $15,000. Parker played inToronto from1963 to1965.
Parker finished his playing career with theBC Lions in1968 when, as an assistant coach, he helped the team out of a difficult mid-season situation by donning the pads for one last go-round as quarterback. At the time of his retirement, Parker, who also kicked extra points and field goals, had scored a then-CFL-record 750 points.
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Games | Att | Comp | Pct | Yards | TD | Int | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||||
| 1954 | Edmonton | 55 | 36 | 65.4 | 558 | 2 | 3 | 117 | 925 | 7.9 | 57 | 10 | |||||
| 1955 | Edmonton | 128 | 48 | 40.0 | 775 | 6 | 6 | 62 | 373 | 6.0 | 26 | 7 | |||||
| 1956 | Edmonton | 226 | 117 | 51.7 | 1889 | 11 | 16 | 92 | 583 | 6.3 | 39 | 10 | |||||
| 1957 | Edmonton | 135 | 70 | 51.8 | 1,150 | 3 | 11 | 102 | 717 | 7.0 | 42 | 11 | |||||
| 1958 | Edmonton | 241 | 124 | 51.4 | 1,908 | 8 | 16 | 91 | 405 | 4.5 | 26 | 8 | |||||
| 1959 | Edmonton | 143 | 80 | 55.9 | 1,207 | 8 | 9 | 43 | 227 | 5.2 | 26 | 4 | |||||
| 1960 | Edmonton | 179 | 82 | 51.3 | 1,613 | 6 | 10 | 109 | 668 | 6.1 | 29 | 8 | |||||
| 1961 | Edmonton | 184 | 92 | 50.0 | 1,405 | 11 | 13 | 87 | 644 | 7.4 | 49 | 3 | |||||
| 1962 | Edmonton | 201 | 110 | 54.7 | 1,532 | 15 | 9 | 38 | 171 | 4.5 | 18 | 3 | |||||
| 1963 | Toronto | 14 | 219 | 115 | 52.5 | 1,603 | 7 | 7 | 39 | 143 | 3.9 | 22 | 0 | ||||
| 1964 | Toronto | 13 | 233 | 137 | 58.8 | 1,841 | 18 | 15 | 33 | 197 | 6.0 | 30 | 2 | ||||
| 1965 | Toronto | 11 | 34 | 14 | 41.2 | 169 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 88 | 7.3 | 20 | 0 | ||||
| 1968 | BC | 8 | 91 | 54 | 59.3 | 726 | 0 | 5 | 29 | 67 | 2.3 | 11 | 1 | ||||
| Totals | 2,061 | 1,089 | 52.8 | 16,476 | 88 | 123 | 854 | 5,210 | 6.1 | 57 | 67 | ||||||
| Statistics | Receiving | Punting | Interceptions | Field Goals & Converts | ||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Team | GP | Rec | Yards | Y/R | Lg | TD | Punts | Yds | Ave. | S | Int | Yds | Ave | Lg | TD | FGA | FGM | Avg | S | XPA | XPM |
| 1954 | Edmonton | 9 | 115 | 12.8 | 27 | 3 | 49 | 2013 | 41.1 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1955 | Edmonton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 673 | 39.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1956 | Edmonton | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 12 | 0 | 86 | 3575 | 41.6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1957 | Edmonton | 27 | 559 | 20.7 | 81 | 5 | 4 | 212 | 53.0 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1958 | Edmonton | 3 | 47 | 15.7 | 28 | 0 | 51 | 1963 | 38.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 66.7 | 0 | 8 | 5 | |
| 1959 | Edmonton | 20 | 324 | 16.2 | 63 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 45.0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 23 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 80.0 | 0 | 38 | 31 | |
| 1960 | Edmonton | 10 | 216 | 21.6 | 50 | 2 | 2 | 94 | 47.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 9 | 52.9 | 3 | 31 | 17 | |
| 1961 | Edmonton | 23 | 383 | 16.7 | 48 | 1 | 4 | 215 | 53.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 14 | 66.7 | 4 | 39 | 34 | |
| 1962 | Edmonton | 9 | 150 | 16.7 | 45 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 54.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1963 | Toronto | 14 | 23 | 327 | 14.2 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | Toronto | 13 | 9 | 166 | 18.4 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | Toronto | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 55 | 13.8 | 32 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 33.3 | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| 1968 | BC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 135 | 2308 | 17.1 | 81 | 19 | 215 | 8844 | 41.1 | 12 | 12 | 135 | 11.2 | 32 | 0 | 62 | 40 | 64.5 | 7 | 132 | 103 | ||
After his playing days ended, Parker moved into coaching. Parker coached theBC Lions for part of the1969 season and all of1970, before moving on to the front office asgeneral manager the next year. He stayed as general manager until being fired in 1975.
Parker coached theEskimos from1983, taking over at mid-season after a 4–4 start led to the firing ofPete Kettela until resigning for health reasons two games into the1987 season, withJoe Faragalli replacing him as Eskimos coach; the team went on to win theGrey Cup that season after losing to Hamiltonthe previous year.
After leaving football, Parker was an executive with theInterprovincial Steel & Pipe Corporation, Ltd.
On November 7, 2006, Parker died at a local Edmonton hospital at age 74 due tothroat cancer.[16]
Parker's jersey No. 91 currently hangs on theWall of Honour at the Eskimos'Commonwealth Stadium. Jackie Parker Park, inEdmonton, Alberta, was named in his honour.[17] TheJackie Parker Trophy, awarded annually to the Most Outstanding Rookie in the West Division, is named after him.
Jackie Parker was inducted into theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 1971, theMississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame and theMississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1972, theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1976, andCanada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. In November 2006, Parker was voted as #3 on a list of theCFL's top 50 players since 1945, in a poll conducted by Canadian sports networkTSN.[18]