Wabash College Athletics

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, and graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, Jimmy Parker came to Wabash in the fall of 1973 and helped in the rebuilding process of Wabash football during the middle 1970s. By the time Parker was a senior, 11 losing seasons had ended with a 7-3 senior season. A year later, following his graduation, the rebuilding was complete as Wabash finished its season as NCAA Division III runner-ups.

A 6-3, 215-pounder, Parker had played offensive guard prior to attending Wabash. Once in a Little Giant uniform, he was quickly switched to defensive lineman in his freshman season. He helped Wabash produce a 5-5 record, and was named the team's Outstanding Defensive Lineman in his rookie season. A second letter followed in 1974, and Parker's work on the defensive line helped limit opponents to just 130 yards rushing per game.

Trying to take best advantage of his size, speed, and strength, coach Frank Navarro moved Parker to "Giant" outside linebacker i his junior season, a move that would prove to be a perfect fit. Parker picked off one pass in 1975, helped limit opponents to just 130 yards per game through the air, and earned Second Team All-Conference honors. As a senior, Parker was the only player in the state to play both offense and defense. As an outside linebacker, Parker was the most feared hitter in the league. He also double as a tight end on short yardage and goal line situations, even catching a four-yard touchdown pass against Butler.

But defense and hitting were Parker's Wabash trademarks. Named co-captain and Most Valuable Player for Wabash in 1976, Parker earned his fourth letter and helped Wabash to its first winning season in 11 years, going 7-3. Parker's intense style of play allowed him to become the first Little Giant since tailback Jack McHenry in 1962 to earn First Team Little All-America honors.

Eleven professional football teams scouted Parker during his senior season, and he was honored as the Pete Vaughan Outstanding Athlete in the senior class. So proud was Wabash of Parker's accomplishments that he was given his own "Big Cookie" bumper sticker which read: "Jimmy Parker Is For Real - A Wabash College All-American!"

It was Parker and his 1976 teammates who got Wabash out of a rut of losing, and on the winning track. Fourteen straight winning seasons would follow, including the 1977 Stagg Bowl appearance a year following Parker's graduation. After graduation, Parker became an insurance representative for Metropolitan Insurance in Cleveland.