John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker was an American gridiron football player and coach.
25 Facts About Jackie Parker
2.
Jackie Parker was an All-American in college football and an outstanding professional football player in the Canadian Football League at the running back, quarterback, defensive back, and kicker positions.
3.
Jackie Parker is primarily known for his play with the Edmonton Eskimos.
4.
In November, 2006, Jackie Parker was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.
5.
Jackie Parker was born on January 1,1932, in Knoxville, Tennessee and given the name John Dickerson Flanagan.
6.
Jackie Parker attended Young City High School in Knoxville, and despite playing only one year of football he was named an All-City tailback.
7.
When he first was graduated from high school Jackie Parker found that his college playing choices were limited because he was married, so he elected to play his first two years of college sports for Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, from 1950 to 1951.
8.
Jackie Parker was a standout baseball player helping JCJC to a South Division title and state runner-up finish in 1951 and a state championship in 1952.
9.
Jackie Parker was eventually inducted into both the JCJC Sports Hall of Fame and the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
10.
Jackie Parker then transferred to Mississippi State University where he spent two seasons as a member of the Bulldogs.
11.
When Jackie Parker first got to Mississippi State he found that his married status was a limiting factor as head football coach Murray Warmath had a policy against married players.
12.
Jackie Parker won numerous other honors during his college career including being named the Nashville Banner SEC MVP in 1952 and 53, the Birmingham QB Club MVP in 1953, and being named the Atlanta Touchdown Club Back of the Year in 1953.
13.
Jackie Parker rewrote the record books at MSU and still holds several school records.
14.
On top of his exploits as the Bulldog QB, Jackie Parker was the team's leading punt returner in 1953, the leading kick returner in 1952 and 1953, and led the team in passes intercepted in 1953 with 4.
15.
Once his college playing days were over Jackie Parker was drafted by both the New York Giants of the NFL and the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Interprovincial Football Union.
16.
Jackie Parker won six consecutive Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophies as the West's most outstanding player from 1956 to 1961, and seven in total.
17.
Jackie Parker was awarded the Schenley Award as Canadian football's most outstanding player in 1957,1958 and 1960 and was the runner-up in 1956 and 1961.
18.
Jackie Parker recovered the ball and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown, giving the Eskimos, who were a large underdog in the game, a surprise victory.
19.
Jackie Parker finished his playing career with the BC Lions in 1968 when, as an assistant coach, he helped the team out of a difficult mid-season situation by donning the pads for one last go-round as quarterback.
20.
At the time of his retirement, Jackie Parker, who kicked extra points and field goals, had scored a then-CFL-record 750 points.
21.
Jackie Parker coached the BC Lions for part of the 1969 season and all of 1970, before moving on to the front office as general manager the next year.
22.
Jackie Parker stayed as general manager until being fired in 1975.
23.
On November 7,2006, Jackie Parker died at a local Edmonton hospital at age 74 due to throat cancer.
24.
The Jackie Parker Trophy, awarded annually to the Most Outstanding Rookie in the West Division, is named after him.
25.
Jackie Parker was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1971, the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1972, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976, and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.