{{Infobox gridiron football biography |name=Ricky Parker |image= |caption= |current_team= |number=29, 39, 20<ref name="pfa">{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/p/park05400.html | title=Ricky Parker | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=10 October 2025}}</ref> |position=Defensive back |birth_date={{birth date and age|December 4, 1974}} |birth_place=Burlington, Vermont, U.S. |death_date= |death_place= |height_ft=6 |height_in=0 |weight_lbs=194 |high_school=Hiram W. Johnson {{nowrap|(Sacramento, California)}} |college=San Diego State (1993–1996) |draftyear=1997 |draftround=6 |draftpick=201 |pastteams= * Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1997}})* * Jacksonville Jaguars ({{NFL Year|1997}}) * → Amsterdam Admirals (1998) * Arizona Rattlers ({{AFL Year|2000|2004}}) * Los Angeles Xtreme (2001) * Georgia Force ({{AFL Year|2005|2006}}) |highlights= * XFL champion (2001) |pfr=ParkRi20 |afl=2545 }} '''Ricky Duwayne Parker''' (born December 4, 1974) is an American former professional football defensive back who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at San Diego State. He also played in NFL Europe, the XFL, and the Arena Football League (AFL).
==Early life== Ricky Duwayne Parker was born on December 4, 1974, in Burlington, Vermont.<ref name="pfr"/> Parker's father Rudy was a minister, and his mother Beatrice was an IRS worker. Growing up, Parker was advised by his parents and brothers to avoid drugs and gangs; he instead played football and basketball as hobbies.<ref name="trouble">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/627243170/|title=Sep 21, 1995, page 64 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Parker played high school football at Hiram W. Johnson High School in Sacramento, California.<ref name="pfr">{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/ParkRi20.htm | title=Ricky Parker | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=10 October 2025}}</ref> He opened the 1990 season with a kickoff return touchdown in each of his first two games, of 80 and 85 yards in length respectively. In a 1991 game against El Dorado, he had what was considered "as complete a game as can be expected of a high school player" with a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, a kickoff return touchdown, an interception, and a fumble recovery. Against Rio Linda, he had a punt return touchdown and two rushing touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/625251763/|title=Oct 10, 1991, page 44 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He was named the league Player of the Year for the 1991 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/625599998/|title=Nov 27, 1991, page 59 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==College career== Parker played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs from 1993 to 1996.<ref name="pfa"/> He was a four-year letterman and a three-year starter.<ref name="pfa"/><ref name="XFL">{{cite web | url=https://www.all-xfl.com/losangelesxtreme/team/roster/RickyParker.htm | title=Ricky Parker | publisher=All-XFL.com | accessdate=10 October 2025}}</ref> In a September 1995 game against the Oklahoma Sooners, Parker set an Aztecs single-game record of 146 interception return yards, which he totaled from two interceptions; the previous record was 100.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/893907066/|title=Sep 10, 1995, page 63 - Tulsa World at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref> On the season, he led the Western Athletic Conference in interceptions (6), and led both the conference and all of NCAA in interception return yards (199).<ref name="sr">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/ricky-parker-1.html|title=Ricky Parker College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits|website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com}}</ref>
During a 1996 game against Oklahoma, Parker set the Aztecs all-time record for interception return yards, having amassed a total of 313 at that point.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/454785955/|title=Sep 23, 1996, page 11 - The Daily Oklahoman at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Parker concluded his college football tenure with 10 interceptions for 355 yards and three touchdowns, and was the first Aztec player to be named to the All-WAC team three seasons in a row.<ref name="sr"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/627596441/|title=Apr 21, 1997, page 44 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Professional career== Parker was selected in the 1997 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/575917464/|title=Apr 21, 1997, page 18 - North County Times at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt drafted Parker on the recommendation of his good friend Ted Tollner who was Parker's college football coach at San Diego State.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/304196588/|title=Apr 21, 1997, page 23 - The Times at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Parker was cut by the Bears midway through training camp in August 1997.<ref name="pfa"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/630844493/|title=May 24, 2005, page 21 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He was signed to the practice squad of the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 8, 1997, and was promoted to the team's active roster on September 23.<ref name="pfa"/> He played in 12 games overall for the Jaguars and posted one assisted tackle.<ref name="pfr"/> In 1998, the Jaguars allocated Parker to NFL Europe to play for the Amsterdam Admirals.<ref name="pfa"/> He was named the NFL Europe Defensive Player of the Week for his performance on May 23, 1998, against the Barcelona Dragons in which he recorded six tackles on defense, four pass breakups, and two special teams tackles while also returning a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to help the Admirals win 20–17.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.jaguars.com/news/jaguars-ricky-parker-earns-nfl-europe-league-player-of-the-week-honors-5847136 | title=JAGUARS' RICKY PARKER EARNS NFL EUROPE LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS | publisher=Jacksonville Jaguars | date=May 26, 1998 | accessdate=10 October 2025}}</ref> He posted 47 defensive tackles and five special teams tackles overall for the Admirals during the 1998 season.<ref name="pfa"/> He was released by Jacksonville on August 30, 1998.<ref name="pfa"/>
Parker joined the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League (AFL) in 2000, playing in three games.<ref name="pfa"/> Although he was mostly a defensive specialist during his arena football career, he also spent some time on offense as the AFL played under ironman rules.<ref name="af"/> He was placed on the Rattlers' exempt list in November 2000 after signing with the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL.<ref name="ari">{{cite web | url=https://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=transactions&type=old&team=21 | title=Historical Team Transactions | publisher=ArenaFan.com | accessdate=10 October 2025}}</ref> Parker started all ten games for the Xtreme during the 2001 season, totaling 40 tackles and one punt return for 20 yards.<ref name="pfa"/> He helped Los Angeles win the Million Dollar Game, the only championship game in league history.<ref name="arz"/> He returned to the Rattlers after the XFL folded. Parker competed in nine regular season games for Arizona in 2001; in the team's first playoff contest, he made an interception with 8:15 left on the clock to stop the Detroit Fury from mounting a comeback.<ref name="pfa"/><ref name="arz">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/124682928/|title=Aug 03, 2001, page 35 - The Arizona Republic at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Parker played for the Rattlers through the 2004 season, appearing in three straight ArenaBowls from 2002 to 2004 but losing each time.<ref name="pfa"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://arizonasports.com/ifl/arizona-rattlers/rattlers-legends-placed-in-ring-of-honor/133700/ | title=Rattlers’ legends placed in Ring of Honor | publisher=ArizonaSports.com | date=Mar 24, 2013 | accessdate=10 October 2025 | author=Grialou, Craig}}</ref> He finished his career with the AFL's Georgia Force from 2005 to 2006.<ref name="pfa"/> Parker recorded AFL career totals of 219 solo tackles, 51 assisted tackles, 11 interceptions for 117 yards, 60 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 26 receptions for 256 yards and seven touchdowns, and five kick returns for 25 yards and one touchdown.<ref name="af">{{cite web | url=https://www.arenafan.com/players/2545/ | title=Ricky Parker | publisher=ArenaFan.com | accessdate=10 October 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Chicago Bears 1997 NFL draft picks}} {{2001 XFL Champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Ricky}} Category:Living people Category:1974 births Category:American football defensive backs Category:San Diego State Aztecs football players Category:Chicago Bears players Category:Jacksonville Jaguars players Category:Amsterdam Admirals players Category:Los Angeles Xtreme players Category:Arizona Rattlers players Category:Georgia Force players Category:Players of American football from Vermont Category:Sportspeople from Burlington, Vermont