Billy Parker (gridiron football) facts for kids
| No. 17 – Texas Southern Tigers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive coordinator & defensive backs coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 17, 1981 Mechanicsville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Mechanicsville (VA) Atlee |
| College: | William & Mary |
| Undrafted: | 2004 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Player stats at CFL.ca (archive) | |
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |
William Parker V (born on May 17, 1981) is a former professional gridiron football player. He used to play as a linebacker. Today, he works as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Texas Southern team. He started this role in 2024.
Parker played college football at William & Mary. He also played professionally for teams like the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, New York Dragons, and Montreal Alouettes. After his playing career, he became a coach. He was a defensive assistant coach for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 2017 to 2018. He also worked as an analyst for the Tampa Bay Vipers in the XFL.
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Early Life and Sports
Billy Parker grew up in Mechanicsville, Virginia. He went to Atlee High School. There, he was a talented athlete in several sports. He earned special recognition in football, basketball, and track. In football, he was chosen as an All-Metro player, which means he was one of the best in his area.
College Football Journey
Parker attended The College of William & Mary. He studied Sociology and earned his degree there.
During his first year in 2000, he was great at defending passes. He finished second on his team in this area. In 2001, he continued to excel, again finishing second in passes defended. He also made 33 tackles that season.
In 2002, Parker led his entire conference in passes defended. He even scored touchdowns by returning interceptions in two games in a row. This tied a record for the most interception return touchdowns in a season for the Atlantic 10 conference. He was also among the top 50 players in the nation for interceptions per game. In his final year, he made 45 tackles, caught two interceptions, and caused one fumble.
Professional Playing Career
Billy Parker played in different football leagues during his professional career.
National Football League (NFL) Experience
In 2004, Parker joined the Cleveland Browns for a mini-camp. The next year, in 2005, he went to training camp with the Miami Dolphins. Later that year, he joined the Carolina Panthers' practice squad. He stayed with them for part of the regular season and through their entire post-season. In 2006, he again attended training camp with the Panthers, but he was later released from the team.
Arena Football League (AFL) Highlights
Parker made his debut in the Arena Football League in 2005. His first game was on February 6 against the Dallas Desperados. In that game, he got his first interception and tackle. He was a top player, finishing as runner-up for both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards.
He was also named to the All-Rookie team and the All-Arena team as a Defensive specialist. Parker tied his team's record with 10 interceptions. He also had 90.5 tackles, which was second-highest on the team. He had two games where he made two interceptions each.
In 2007, playing for the New York Dragons, Parker recorded 66 tackles and four interceptions. He also led the league with 28 pass break-ups. He was named Defensive Player of the Game twice that season.
In 2008, Parker played in all 16 games for the Dragons. He finished with 71 tackles, 20 passes defended, and eight interceptions. He also recovered one fumble.
Canadian Football League (CFL) Success
Billy Parker signed with the Montreal Alouettes on May 25, 2009. He played for them for many seasons. In his first six years in the CFL, he made 283 tackles and 11 interceptions. He also had 7 special teams tackles and 2 fumble recoveries.
Parker was recognized as an East division all-star in 2013. He was a key player on two Grey Cup championship teams with the Montreal Alouettes. These wins happened in 2009 and 2010. He signed a new two-year contract with the Alouettes in 2014.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, Billy Parker began coaching. In 2004, he helped coach the Hanover Hawks football team. He later became an assistant coach for the Richmond Revolution in the Indoor Football League. He also served as an assistant coach for the Richmond Raiders in the Southern Indoor Football League.
In 2017, he returned to the Montreal Alouettes as a defensive assistant coach. In 2019, he joined the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL as an analyst. Since then, he has held various coaching positions, including his current role as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Texas Southern.
See also
- List of Arena Football League and National Football League players
