Ron Parker Number 38. Persistence Personified.

story by cindy reid

photography by paul nurnberg

Beaufort native Ron Parker’s story does not start with the big college
career or a big draft day. As a Beaufort High School player, Parker
did well on the field but was not recruited by any of the fabled
football schools. There was no signing day, no media coverage; in fact
there was no real expectation that he would continue his athletic
career.

But Ron Parker did not accept that fate. He chose to make his own
fate by attending small Newberry College, where he kept playing
football, whether anyone noticed or not. Through sheer persistence he
got himself to the NFL as a free agent picked up by the Oakland
Raiders in 2011. But then he bounced around, first to the Seattle
Seahawks (2011), then to the Carolina Panthers (2012), and back to
Seahawks again (2012). In 2013 he landed with the Kansas City Chiefs
on the reserve list. For many journeymen players this well could have
been the end of their athletic career.

But last season, Parker, a defensive back, made his way to the
Chiefs’ starting roster and finally got the opening he needed to show
what he can do. He made the most of his opportunity and by the end of
the 2014 season, Parker achieved career highs with eighty four solo
tackles and twelve pass deflections.  By December, the Chiefs defense
went from being rated 25th to second in the league.

That got the league’s attention. As a free agent, Parker could
have moved on from Kansas City and signed with any of the teams who
now knew his name. The Atlanta Falcons were interested, as were the
Chicago Bears. But the Chiefs knew a good thing when they had it, and
in March 2015, Parker signed a five year, $30 million dollar contract
with the Chiefs.

This July, as Parker was getting ready for the biggest season of
his career, he chose to come to home to Beaufort and host the first
“Ron Parker Football Camp” for almost 200 local children, free of
charge.

BL: What made you keep playing professional football when there really
weren’t a lot of external reasons to keep at it?

RP: I have a lot of drive because of where I came from. The first
couple of years in the NFL I saw the how the business worked and I
kept on working hard and learning as much as I could. It was all hard
work and determination to get here.

BL: This is your fifth season in the NFL.  Do you feel you have
finally found a “home” with the Chiefs?

RP: Yes, I am very happy to be at Kansas City. It is exactly where I
want to be playing. But nothing has changed, I feel the same way about
the game that I always have. You have to go out there and play every
play and every game at your best. As an NFL player, you know you can
never get too comfortable. Nothing is promised, you have to earn your
place every game.

BL: What can you say about Coach Andy Reid and the coaching staff at the Chiefs?

RP: Coach Reid is great and the whole coaching staff is tremendous. I
can’t say enough good things about Coach and the staff at Kansas City.
Coach Reid is the first NFL coach I have had that has really taken an
interest in me, and I appreciate all he has done for me.

BL: What do you think about the upcoming season?

RP: My personal goals this year are to get more interceptions and
tackles. As a team we have a great chance this year, great players on
defense, and everyone is healthy.  Alex Smith is a good, consistent
quarterback. We will have an outstanding season.

BL: The Chiefs have a Monday Night Football game versus the Green Bay
Packers on September 28. Is there a higher level of tension on the
field for Monday Night Football?

RP: Absolutely. Any game played on Monday, Thursday or Sunday night
feels different. It is the only game on at that time and you can feel
everyone watching you. And I know that all my friends and family back
home in Beaufort are watching!

BL: What about the Kansas City fans?

RP: They are the best. They have welcomed me and made me feel at home.
They show me love and take care of me.

BL: What is your favorite game for the upcoming season?

RP: The game against the Detroit Lions on Nov 1. We will be playing in
London, England and I have never been to England so I am looking
forward to it.  And Devin Taylor (former BHS player and current Lion’s
player) and I are friends so it will be cool to see him at that game.

BL: How do you relax during the season?

RP: Video games. PS4 and Xbox1 take me through the whole season. It
helps me relax and keep my mind off football for a while.

BL: Your twin brother Donald has been with you every step of the way.

RP: Absolutely. Donald has my back, and I listen to him. After every
game we sit down and watch the plays. We never talk about the good
stuff; we only talk about what I need to work on. I value his advice
and input because he knows me, and he knows the game. He is my other
half. Together we make a whole.

BL: What is on your “must do” list when you come home?

RP: Eat home cooked meals! I come home and I get to eat all my
favorites. Macaroni and cheese, cornbread, barbeque ribs and seafood.
That’s what I eat every time I get back to Beaufort.

BL: That’s not on the training diet.

RP: Oh no, not at all! But I have to get that taste of home when I can.

Camp

BL: “Ron Parker’s Football Camp” was held at Beaufort High School in
early July. Open to children in grades 3-12, the camp was free of
charge. Tell us about the camp.

RP: It was the first and we had 190 kids attend on Saturday and 125 on
Sunday. The kids were split into 9 stations with different coaches
where they worked on speed and agility. It was a big success so we are
going to try and do it again next year.

BL: What did you try to impart to the kids, as a former BHS player,
now NFL starter?

RP: Both days we gathered all the camp kids up and I talked to them,
letting them know my situation. That I sat on the same seats, that I
played on the same field and stood in the same spots as they were.
That nothing came easy for me but I kept working at it, year after
year. I think if they hear from someone who is there, at the NFL
level, it makes a stronger impact, than from someone who isn’t in my
position.

BL: What do you think the kids got out of their experience?

RP: They enjoyed it. And you can tell they learned something between
Friday and Saturday. Some of them reminded me of myself as a kid, out
there working hard. The kids did a good job of competing and getting
after it.

BL: What kind of player were you as a kid?

RP: Always a playmaker.  I always had a knack for the ball.

BL: What is the best lesson you want the kids to take away?

RP: Be successful and stay strong. Negative people bring negative
events. Surround yourself with positivity.

For further information: www.ronparker38.com