Bernie Parrish facts for kids
1964 NFL Playing Card
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| No. 30 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | April 29, 1936 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Died: | October 23, 2019 (aged 83) Springfield, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Gainesville (FL) P.K. Yonge | ||||||||||
| College: | Florida | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1958 / Round: 9 / Pick: 108 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Bernard Paul Parrish (born April 29, 1936 – died October 23, 2019) was an American football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). Bernie Parrish played college football for the University of Florida. Later, he played professionally for the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Oilers.
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Early Life and High School
Bernie Parrish was born in Long Beach, California in 1936. He grew up in Gainesville, Florida. There, he went to P.K. Yonge High School. He played both high school football and baseball for the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave teams.
College Sports Career
Parrish earned a sports scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville. He played as a halfback and defensive back for the Florida Gators football team. This was during the 1956 and 1957 seasons.
In one memorable game, Parrish was named "Back of the Week" by the Associated Press. This was for his great performance against the Vanderbilt Commodores. He ran for 111 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also kicked two extra points. On defense, he made an interception and seven tackles.
Besides football, he also played second base for the Florida Gators baseball team from 1956 to 1958. In 1958, he was an amazing hitter, batting .433. He led the Gators in runs batted in, hits, doubles, and home runs. He was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC). He was also the first baseball All-American from the University of Florida.
Parrish decided to leave college early to sign a contract with Major League Baseball. However, he returned to Gainesville during the NFL off-season. He finished his degree in building construction in 1960. Later, he was honored by being inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional Football Journey
The Cleveland Browns picked Bernie Parrish in the ninth round of the 1958 NFL Draft. He played for the Browns from 1959 to 1966.
In 1960, he made a fantastic play, returning an interception 92 yards for a touchdown. In 1964, he intercepted a pass from the famous quarterback Y. A. Tittle. Parrish was a very important player on the Browns' defense. He helped them win the 1964 NFL championship. During his seven seasons with the Browns, he had 29 interceptions. Three of these were returned for touchdowns.
After playing one game in the 1966 season, Parrish asked to leave the Browns. He then played the rest of the 1966 season (11 games) for the Houston Oilers in the AFL. He retired from football after that season.
In total, Bernie Parrish played in 105 professional football games. He made 31 interceptions and ran them back for 557 yards. He also scored three touchdowns from these interceptions.
Life After Playing Football
While playing for the Browns, Parrish was a team representative for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). He later became the NFLPA vice president. After retiring from playing, Parrish worked to help football players have a stronger voice.
In 1971, Parrish wrote a book called They Call It A Game. The book discussed the business and politics of the NFL.
Later, Parrish had a successful career as a hotel developer. He eventually retired to spend more time with his family. In 2007, Parrish and another former NFL player, Herb Adderley, filed a class action suit. This lawsuit was on behalf of retired NFL players. It was about money from players' images and names. A jury decided in favor of the retired players. The NFLPA later settled the case.
Bernie Parrish passed away on October 23, 2019, from prostate cancer.
Cleveland Browns Legends Hall
On October 1, 2017, Bernie Parrish was honored by the Cleveland Browns. He was inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends hall. This happened during halftime of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
See also
- 1958 College Baseball All-America Team
- Florida Gators football, 1950–59
- History of the Cleveland Browns
- List of American Football League players
- List of Florida Gators in the NFL Draft
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
