Ken Parrish
Encyclopedia
Ken Parrish is an American football
punter who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
at East Stroudsburg.
Parrish has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
, New York Jets
, Florida Tuskers, and Atlanta Falcons
.
in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
where he played soccer for three years before joining the football team as a punter during his senior year. There, he earned All-Mountain Valley Conference
and Pocono Record
All-Area honors. He decided to join the football team after the schools' previous punter, Joseph Gaeta, who later played football at Temple University
, became injured. Gaeta is credited with helping to convince Parrish to make the switch from soccer to football. He only had to punt three balls for the school's football coach before he was given the punting job for the rest of the season.
where he averaged 40.3 yards per punt and landed 59 of his 174 punts inside the 20-yard line during his college career. In his junior and senior year, he earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
eastern division honors after averaging 42.5 yards per punt, with 30 of his 75 punts landing inside the 20 and just four touchbacks during that span. As a senior, he punted 42 times in 14 games to help ESU win the Division II Northeast Regional championship and advanced to the national semifinals for the first time in school history. As a senior, he averaged 42.0 yards per punt. As a junior, he averaged 43.2 yards per punt. As a sophomore, he averaged 40.7 yards per punt. As a freshman, he averaged 36.7 yards per punt. Parrish graduated East Stroudsburg with a degree in criminal justice.
, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers
on May 3, 2007. He spent that training camp and pre-season with the 49ers before being released prior to the start of the regular season.
as a free agent
on May 28, 2009. He was waived on August 8 after the team signed tight end
Rob Myers
.
as a free agent
on August 16, 2009 after the team waived punter T. J. Conley
. Parrish was waived on August 28 when the team claimed punter Glenn Pakulak
off waivers.
on April 28, 2010. He was waived on August 15.
on March 3, 2011, but was released on August 24.
. After the eight months, he decided that he would pursue a comeback into the NFL by leaving the police force. When asked about his decision to leave the police force, Parrish said, "It was a decision that took weeks and weeks and weeks and lots of discussions with my family. I always had great backing from my family. They [said], 'Ken, if you feel this is something you need to go out and conquer, then go ahead and do it.'"
Parrish moved to Modesto, California
to perfect his punting, kickoffs, placekicks, and holding for placekicks in order to get ready for his comeback into the NFL.
After he was released by the Jets following training camp, Parrish worked as a substitute teacher at J. T. Lambert Intermediate School
and as a police officer again with the Stroud Area Regional Police.
Parrish spent time during the 2010 offseason in Las Vegas, Nevada
to work with Louie Aguiar on his punting and kicking.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punter who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at East Stroudsburg.
Parrish has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Florida Tuskers, and Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Parrish attended East Stroudsburg South High SchoolEast Stroudsburg South High School
East Stroudsburg Senior High School South is a public high school located at 279 North Courtland Street in East Stroudsburg, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The school's mascot is the cavalier. The school is part of the East Stroudsburg Area School District....
in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg is the most populous municipality in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state. Originally known as "Dansbury", East Stroudsburg was renamed for geographic reasons when the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad opened a...
where he played soccer for three years before joining the football team as a punter during his senior year. There, he earned All-Mountain Valley Conference
Mountain Valley Conference (PA)
The Mountain Valley Conference ' is an athletic conference consisting of 6 large high schools and 4 School Districts from Monroe County and the Lehighton Area School District from Carbon County, in the United States...
and Pocono Record
Pocono Record
The Pocono Record is a daily newspaper published in print and online in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania USA.-History:The Pocono Record was founded as the Stroudsburg Daily Times April 2, 1894....
All-Area honors. He decided to join the football team after the schools' previous punter, Joseph Gaeta, who later played football at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, became injured. Gaeta is credited with helping to convince Parrish to make the switch from soccer to football. He only had to punt three balls for the school's football coach before he was given the punting job for the rest of the season.
College career
After high school, Parrish attended East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of the 14 state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . It is commonly referred to as ESU by its students and members of the community...
where he averaged 40.3 yards per punt and landed 59 of his 174 punts inside the 20-yard line during his college career. In his junior and senior year, he earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The conference is composed of 16 full-time members within Pennsylvania and one associate member in New York...
eastern division honors after averaging 42.5 yards per punt, with 30 of his 75 punts landing inside the 20 and just four touchbacks during that span. As a senior, he punted 42 times in 14 games to help ESU win the Division II Northeast Regional championship and advanced to the national semifinals for the first time in school history. As a senior, he averaged 42.0 yards per punt. As a junior, he averaged 43.2 yards per punt. As a sophomore, he averaged 40.7 yards per punt. As a freshman, he averaged 36.7 yards per punt. Parrish graduated East Stroudsburg with a degree in criminal justice.
San Francisco 49ers
Parrish was undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
on May 3, 2007. He spent that training camp and pre-season with the 49ers before being released prior to the start of the regular season.
First stint with Eagles
Parrish signed with the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
on May 28, 2009. He was waived on August 8 after the team signed tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Rob Myers
Rob Myers
Rob Myers is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
.
New York Jets
Parrish signed with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
on August 16, 2009 after the team waived punter T. J. Conley
T. J. Conley
Timothy Joseph 'T. J.' Conley Jr. is an American football punter for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jets in 2009. He played college football at Idaho.-New York Jets:...
. Parrish was waived on August 28 when the team claimed punter Glenn Pakulak
Glenn Pakulak
Glenn Adam Pakulak, Jr. is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
off waivers.
Second stint with Eagles
Parrish was re-signed to a three-year contract by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on April 28, 2010. He was waived on August 15.
Florida Tuskers
Parrish was signed by the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League on September 9, 2010.Atlanta Falcons
Parrish was signed by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on March 3, 2011, but was released on August 24.
Personal
After getting released by the 49ers in 2007, Parrish spent eight months as a police officer with the Stroud Area Regional Police in his hometown, East Stroudsburg, PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg is the most populous municipality in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state. Originally known as "Dansbury", East Stroudsburg was renamed for geographic reasons when the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad opened a...
. After the eight months, he decided that he would pursue a comeback into the NFL by leaving the police force. When asked about his decision to leave the police force, Parrish said, "It was a decision that took weeks and weeks and weeks and lots of discussions with my family. I always had great backing from my family. They [said], 'Ken, if you feel this is something you need to go out and conquer, then go ahead and do it.'"
Parrish moved to Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
to perfect his punting, kickoffs, placekicks, and holding for placekicks in order to get ready for his comeback into the NFL.
After he was released by the Jets following training camp, Parrish worked as a substitute teacher at J. T. Lambert Intermediate School
J. T. Lambert Intermediate School
J. T. Lambert Intermediate School is part of the East Stroudsburg Area School District in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The school holds sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in the south region of the district. The John T. Lambert Intermediate School was built between 1990 and 1992,...
and as a police officer again with the Stroud Area Regional Police.
Parrish spent time during the 2010 offseason in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to work with Louie Aguiar on his punting and kicking.