Donald Edward Parish (January 4, 1948 – May 9, 2018) was an American football linebacker. Parish played at Stanford, where he was the Pop Warner Trophy winner in 1969.[1] He was chosen in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.[2] Parish played three seasons for the Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, and Denver Broncos.[3]
| No. 57, 56, 51 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | January 4, 1948 Beaumont, Texas, U.S. | ||
| Died: | May 9, 2018 (aged 70) Paso Robles, California, U.S. | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Paso Robles (CA) | ||
| College: | Stanford | ||
| NFL draft: | 1970 / Round: 4 / Pick: 91 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at NFL.com | |||
He had three brothers, Kenneth, Cecil and Don.[4]
The St. Louis Quarterback Club selected Parish as the Cardinals' team Rookie of the Year in December 1970.[5]
As a member of the Cardinal, Parish set the school record for single-game tackles against Oregon State in 1968, making 23 stops, a mark he would hold for 18 years until Dave Wyman surpassed it.[6] As a senior, he was selected for first-team All-America honors by the AP, The Sporting News and Time.[7]
In 1971, then-Stanford coach John Ralston called Parish "the finest linebacker" he had ever coached, adding: "In his three seasons (at Stanford), he has never given anything less than 110-percent effort."[8]
| Season | School | Tackles |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 (So.) | STAN | 71 |
| 1968 (Jr.) | STAN | 143 |
| 1969 (Sr.) | STAN | 141 |
| Career | Total | 355 |
He suffered from traumatic brain injury during his football days, his brother, Kenneth, told a reporter in 2021. Unhoused in Los Angeles for many years, Parish died at age 70 on May 9, 2018, in Paso Robles, California.[9]
In June 2022, his alma mater, PRHS, named its football field in honor of Parish.[10]
References edit
- ^ "Pac-12 Conference - 2016 Football Media Guide". Catalog.e-digitaleditions.com. 2016. p. 113. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
- ^ "NFL.com Draft 2018 - NFL Draft History: Full Draft Year". NFL.com.
- ^ "Don Parish". NFL.com.
- ^ Sara Kassabian, "Paso Robles Black Baptist Church Celebrates 60 Years," The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, California, pages 1A and 6A
- ^ "Don Parish named Card 'Rookie'". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. December 12, 1970. p. 7.
- ^ "Defensive Records". Stanford University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ Stanford 2013 Football Media Guide. Stanford University Athletics. 2013. p. 166.
- ^ "Paso to honor Parish". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. December 16, 1971. p. 13.
- ^ "Don Edward Parish". Paso Robles Press. Archived from the original on 2018-11-08. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^ "Honoring Four Legendary Bearcats 06.08.2022". KPRL Radio 1230AM & 99.3FM. 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Don Parish cemetery marker
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