Willie Parker
Encyclopedia
"Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. (born November 11, 1980) is an American football
running back
for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
at North Carolina
. He has also played for the Washington Redskins
.
, North Carolina
, attended Clinton High School, and was a letterman in football. He was a two-time All-Conference and a two-time All-Region honoree. As a junior, he rushed for 1,329 yards and 20 touchdowns and helped lead his team to the state AA title. As a senior, he rushed for 1,801 yards and 18 touchdowns (while averaging 12.3 yards per carry) and was also named the County Player of the Year. One of Parker's cousins is Leonard Henry
, former Miami Dolphins
running back.
. In his first year he had some success with 355 yards on 84 carries, but was only used sparingly in his last three years due to decisions made by former head Coach John Bunting to restrict Parker's playing time until he "bulked up" to fit within Bunting's attempt at establishing a power running game. In addition, Parker's father has stated that he thought the murder of Parker's best friend from home during Parker's sophomore year made it difficult for him to adapt to the new system at North Carolina.
Parker's experience as a backup in college has since drawn comparison to Hall of Famer
Franco Harris
, the Steelers all-time leading rusher and Super Bowl IX
MVP, who served as a backup to Lydell Mitchell
when he played at Penn State
. Supposedly, Joe Paterno
preferred Mitchell's style over Harris.
He spent the 2004 NFL season
as a backup player behind Jerome Bettis
, Duce Staley
and Verron Haynes
. During the 2004 season, he had his most impressive game in week 17 at Buffalo
. Duce Staley started the game and played most of the first quarter, while Parker took over for the rest of the game. He ran for 102 yards in the remaining 3 quarters, including a very long sprint of 58 yards that was part of a game-controlling drive. The Steelers, playing mostly reserves (third-stringer Brian St. Pierre
played part of the game at QB) had already sealed the top seed in the AFC that year, but for the Bills, a win could have meant the playoffs. After Parker's performance in this game, head coach Bill Cowher
gave Parker extensive playing time during the 2005 preseason.
In his second year, Parker earned the starting job after both Bettis (hamstring) and Staley (knees) missed the first part of the season with injuries. By default, Parker had to play the first game against the Tennessee Titans. He impressed Bill Cowher, as well as Titans coach Jeff Fisher, by gaining 161 rushing yards on 22 attempts (7.3 average). After following this performance with another 100+ yard game against the Houston Texans, Cowher gave Parker the starting position. "Fast Willie" started 15 of 16 games that season (being injured week 9 against the Green Bay Packers
and missed the week 10 contest against the Cleveland Browns
), finishing with 255 carries for 1,202 yards (4.7 average, a career long 80 yard touchdown run in week 16 against the Browns) and 4 touchdown
s. He also finished the season with 218 yards receiving and one touchdown. Parker was the first Steeler back since Bettis in 2001 to top 1,000 yards in a season. Also, he is the second undrafted running back to rush for over 1,200 in the history of the NFL.(Along with Priest Holmes)
In the third quarter of Super Bowl XL
, Parker scored a 75-yard touchdown, the longest rushing play in Super Bowl
history, to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead over the Seattle Seahawks
. The previous long was 74 yards by Marcus Allen
in Super Bowl XVIII
against the Washington Redskins
.
Parker finished the game with 93 yards on 10 carries and an average of 9.3 yards a carry, the third-best average in Super Bowl history (minimum 10 carries). Parker gave his Super Bowl ring to his father Willie Parker Sr. as a gift.
In 2006, Parker signed a major contract with the Steelers, a four-year $13.6 million dollar deal that would solidify his future role on the team. Bill Cowher was quoted as saying that Parker would be a workhorse and receive the goal-line carries in his role as the starter, guaranteeing him the starring running-back role in Pittsburgh.
On November 12, 2006, in a home game against the New Orleans Saints
, Parker rushed for 213 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns, coming 5 yards short of the highest single-game rushing total in Steelers history. His two long gains of 72 and 76 yards set up touchdowns that capped off the Pittsburgh victory, 38-31. His 76-yard sprint late in the 4th quarter was the longest rush in Heinz Field
history.
On December 7, against the Cleveland Browns
, Parker broke the all-time Steelers rushing record for a single game, gaining 223 yards on 32 carries & 1 touchdown before being taken out of the game in the third quarter. The record was previously held by John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Parker also became the only Steelers running back to have two 200+ yard games in the same year.
Parker played in (and started) all 16 regular season games. He compiled 1,494 yards on 337 carries (4.4 average) with 13 rushing touchdowns. He also had 12 runs of 20+ yards. Parker also caught 31 passes for 222 yards (7.2 average) and 3 touchdowns. In addition, his 16 combined scores broke the previous Steelers single-season touchdown mark of 15 set by Louis Lipps
in 1987. Parker served as a backup to LaDainian Tomlinson
and Larry Johnson in his first Pro Bowl
, where he would finish the game with 40 yards on 2 carries.
Parker was productive in 2007 as well, rushing for 1,316 yards but only 2 total touchdowns. He had eight 100-yard plus games, leading the league in that category and earning a second consecutive Pro Bowl berth before being injured late in the season. Parker suffered a broken right fibula early in a game against the St. Louis Rams on December 20, 2007, ending his season. He was replaced by backup Najeh Davenport
. Parker led the league in rushing yardage at the time of his injury.
Coming off of his broken leg near the end of the 2007 campaign, there were questions surrounding Willie Parker's ability to recover. He played little in the preseason, giving way to Rashard Mendenhall
for much of the time. The first game of the year was against the Houston Texans
. In this game, Parker would record 138 rushing yards and a career-high 3 touchdowns, all before the fourth quarter ever started. The Steelers got up 35-3 in the third quarter, and opted to pull some of their starting players. He was the leading AFC rusher for the week and was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. However, Parker suffered a knee injury four games into the season, leading to five missed games. His back-up, Rashard Mendenhall
, suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve. The third-string running back, Mewelde Moore
, produced well in Parker's absence, with 908 yards from scrimmage. Parker had four 100-yard performances, while compiling 791 yards on 210 carries, for a 3.8 average (worst of his career), and 5 TDs. He added only three receptions for 13 yards for an average of 4.3 yards per catch. Against the Chargers, Parker had his first 100+ yard game of his playoff career, compiling 146 yards on 27 carries and two TDs. The Steelers reached the Super Bowl again in 2008 and played Arizona Cardinals at Super Bowl XLIII. In Super Bowl XLIII, Parker was not able to make a significant impact, as the Pittsburgh Steelers were unable to establish a strong rushing game. He had 19 carries for only 53 yards, bringing his average to a mere 2.8 yards per carry, and no touchdowns. Regardless, with Ben Roethlisberger
at the helm establishing the passing game, the Steelers went on collect their sixth championship ring in Super Bowl XLIII, becoming the first team in NFL history to obtain this amount.
Parker began his final contract year with the Steelers as the starter for the first three games of the season, carrying for 19, 47, and 93 yards. He was injured with turf toe
and missed two games after the injury. Rashard Mendenhall
then started those three games and played well, leading to Mendenhall becoming the starter. Parker ran for 26 yards on seven carries against the Cleveland Browns
when he returned to play.
, adding a third running back to Washington's committee of Clinton Portis
and Larry Johnson.
He was released during final cuts on September 4, 2010.
NFL players, though Parker has recently made comments about wanting to go back to the Steelers. On August 3rd, 2011 Parker announced on his Twitter page that he will be going to the Virginia Destroyers of the UFL
.
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...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. 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 North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
. He has also played for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Early years
Willie Parker was born in ClintonClinton, North Carolina
Clinton is the county seat of Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. The population of Clinton is 8,639 according to the 2010 US Census. Clinton is named for American Revolution General Richard Clinton.-History:...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, attended Clinton High School, and was a letterman in football. He was a two-time All-Conference and a two-time All-Region honoree. As a junior, he rushed for 1,329 yards and 20 touchdowns and helped lead his team to the state AA title. As a senior, he rushed for 1,801 yards and 18 touchdowns (while averaging 12.3 yards per carry) and was also named the County Player of the Year. One of Parker's cousins is Leonard Henry
Leonard Henry
Leonard Henry is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, former Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
running back.
College career
He attended the University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. In his first year he had some success with 355 yards on 84 carries, but was only used sparingly in his last three years due to decisions made by former head Coach John Bunting to restrict Parker's playing time until he "bulked up" to fit within Bunting's attempt at establishing a power running game. In addition, Parker's father has stated that he thought the murder of Parker's best friend from home during Parker's sophomore year made it difficult for him to adapt to the new system at North Carolina.
Parker's experience as a backup in college has since drawn comparison to Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
, the Steelers all-time leading rusher and Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
MVP, who served as a backup to Lydell Mitchell
Lydell Mitchell
Lydell Douglas Mitchell , is a former professional American football player. He played running back in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams spanning 1972-1980....
when he played at Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. Supposedly, Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
preferred Mitchell's style over Harris.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Parker was an undrafted free agent with the Steelers in 2004. While at UNC, Parker displayed great speed, but little vision, resulting in inconsistent play which led to him being benched in favor of Ronnie McGill during his senior year.He spent the 2004 NFL season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
as a backup player behind Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
, Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
and Verron Haynes
Verron Haynes
Verron Ulric Haynes is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. During the 2004 season, he had his most impressive game in week 17 at Buffalo
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Duce Staley started the game and played most of the first quarter, while Parker took over for the rest of the game. He ran for 102 yards in the remaining 3 quarters, including a very long sprint of 58 yards that was part of a game-controlling drive. The Steelers, playing mostly reserves (third-stringer Brian St. Pierre
Brian St. Pierre
Brian St. Pierre is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College....
played part of the game at QB) had already sealed the top seed in the AFC that year, but for the Bills, a win could have meant the playoffs. After Parker's performance in this game, head coach Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
gave Parker extensive playing time during the 2005 preseason.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and missed the week 10 contest against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
), finishing with 255 carries for 1,202 yards (4.7 average, a career long 80 yard touchdown run in week 16 against the Browns) and 4 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. He also finished the season with 218 yards receiving and one touchdown. Parker was the first Steeler back since Bettis in 2001 to top 1,000 yards in a season. Also, he is the second undrafted running back to rush for over 1,200 in the history of the NFL.(Along with Priest Holmes)
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, Parker scored a 75-yard touchdown, the longest rushing play in Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
history, to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead over the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. The previous long was 74 yards by Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
in Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Parker finished the game with 93 yards on 10 carries and an average of 9.3 yards a carry, the third-best average in Super Bowl history (minimum 10 carries). Parker gave his Super Bowl ring to his father Willie Parker Sr. as a gift.
In 2006, Parker signed a major contract with the Steelers, a four-year $13.6 million dollar deal that would solidify his future role on the team. Bill Cowher was quoted as saying that Parker would be a workhorse and receive the goal-line carries in his role as the starter, guaranteeing him the starring running-back role in Pittsburgh.
On November 12, 2006, in a home game against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, Parker rushed for 213 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns, coming 5 yards short of the highest single-game rushing total in Steelers history. His two long gains of 72 and 76 yards set up touchdowns that capped off the Pittsburgh victory, 38-31. His 76-yard sprint late in the 4th quarter was the longest rush in Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
history.
On December 7, against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Parker broke the all-time Steelers rushing record for a single game, gaining 223 yards on 32 carries & 1 touchdown before being taken out of the game in the third quarter. The record was previously held by John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Parker also became the only Steelers running back to have two 200+ yard games in the same year.
Parker played in (and started) all 16 regular season games. He compiled 1,494 yards on 337 carries (4.4 average) with 13 rushing touchdowns. He also had 12 runs of 20+ yards. Parker also caught 31 passes for 222 yards (7.2 average) and 3 touchdowns. In addition, his 16 combined scores broke the previous Steelers single-season touchdown mark of 15 set by Louis Lipps
Louis Lipps
Louis Adam Lipps is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL who played his entire nine-season career for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints....
in 1987. Parker served as a backup to LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
and Larry Johnson in his first Pro Bowl
2007 Pro Bowl
The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
, where he would finish the game with 40 yards on 2 carries.
Parker was productive in 2007 as well, rushing for 1,316 yards but only 2 total touchdowns. He had eight 100-yard plus games, leading the league in that category and earning a second consecutive Pro Bowl berth before being injured late in the season. Parker suffered a broken right fibula early in a game against the St. Louis Rams on December 20, 2007, ending his season. He was replaced by backup Najeh Davenport
Najeh Davenport
Najeh Trenadious Monté Davenport is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Parker led the league in rushing yardage at the time of his injury.
Coming off of his broken leg near the end of the 2007 campaign, there were questions surrounding Willie Parker's ability to recover. He played little in the preseason, giving way to Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
for much of the time. The first game of the year was against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In this game, Parker would record 138 rushing yards and a career-high 3 touchdowns, all before the fourth quarter ever started. The Steelers got up 35-3 in the third quarter, and opted to pull some of their starting players. He was the leading AFC rusher for the week and was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. However, Parker suffered a knee injury four games into the season, leading to five missed games. His back-up, Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
, suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve. The third-string running back, Mewelde Moore
Mewelde Moore
Mewelde Jaem Cadere Moore is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, produced well in Parker's absence, with 908 yards from scrimmage. Parker had four 100-yard performances, while compiling 791 yards on 210 carries, for a 3.8 average (worst of his career), and 5 TDs. He added only three receptions for 13 yards for an average of 4.3 yards per catch. Against the Chargers, Parker had his first 100+ yard game of his playoff career, compiling 146 yards on 27 carries and two TDs. The Steelers reached the Super Bowl again in 2008 and played Arizona Cardinals at Super Bowl XLIII. In Super Bowl XLIII, Parker was not able to make a significant impact, as the Pittsburgh Steelers were unable to establish a strong rushing game. He had 19 carries for only 53 yards, bringing his average to a mere 2.8 yards per carry, and no touchdowns. Regardless, with Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
at the helm establishing the passing game, the Steelers went on collect their sixth championship ring in Super Bowl XLIII, becoming the first team in NFL history to obtain this amount.
Parker began his final contract year with the Steelers as the starter for the first three games of the season, carrying for 19, 47, and 93 yards. He was injured with turf toe
Turf toe
A metatarsalphalangeal joint sprain is an injury to the joint and connective tissue between the foot and one of the toes. When the big toe is involved, it is known as "turf toe".-Causes:...
and missed two games after the injury. Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
then started those three games and played well, leading to Mendenhall becoming the starter. Parker ran for 26 yards on seven carries against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
when he returned to play.
Washington Redskins
On April 2, 2010, Parker signed with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, adding a third running back to Washington's committee of Clinton Portis
Clinton Portis
Clinton Earl Portis is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
and Larry Johnson.
He was released during final cuts on September 4, 2010.
Virginia Destroyers
On April 26, 2011, NFL.com reported that the Virginia Destroyers claimed Parker, along with many other free agentFree 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....
NFL players, though Parker has recently made comments about wanting to go back to the Steelers. On August 3rd, 2011 Parker announced on his Twitter page that he will be going to the Virginia Destroyers of the UFL
UFL
UFL or UFl may refer to:Chemistry:* Upper flammable limit, the flammability limit describing the richest flammable mixture of a combustible gasColleges and universities:...
.