Jalen Parmele facts for kids
Parmele (#34) at practice during his time with the Ravens
|
|||||||||
| No. 34, 38 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back / Kickoff returner | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 30, 1985 Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S. |
||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Midland (MI) Dow | ||||||||
| College: | Toledo | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 6 / Pick: 176 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Justin Alexander "Jalen" Parmele (born December 30, 1985) is a former American football player. He played as a running back and also returned kickoffs. Jalen was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the 2008 NFL draft. He also played for several other teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars. Before playing professionally, he was a college football star at Toledo. Today, Jalen owns a business in Arizona that helps people with exercise and massage.
Contents
Jalen Parmele's Early Life
Jalen Parmele grew up in Midland, Michigan. He played high school football at H. H. Dow High School. Jalen was a fantastic player, running for over 1,500 yards and scoring 23 touchdowns in his senior year.
High School Achievements
Because of his amazing performance, Jalen was named his team's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was also chosen as a first-team all-state player. This means he was one of the best high school football players in the entire state. Jalen was also a good student, earning a spot on the league's all-academic team for three years. Besides football, he also played basketball and competed in track.
College Football Career
After high school, Jalen Parmele went to the University of Toledo. He also had offers to play for other colleges like Florida A&M and Western Michigan.
Starting Out at Toledo
In his first year, 2004, Jalen played in nine games. He ran for 183 yards and scored three touchdowns. The next year, he played in 11 games, gaining 294 yards and scoring three more touchdowns.
Becoming a Star Player
Jalen really shined in 2006, his junior year. He ran for an impressive 1,170 yards and scored eight touchdowns. This earned him a spot on the first-team All-MAC team. He also caught 16 passes for 128 yards. In one game against Ball State, he ran for a career-high 173 yards. He even had a 92-yard run, which was one of the longest in his school's history!
In his senior year, 2007, Jalen had his best season ever. He ran for 1,511 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. This was the ninth-highest rushing total in the entire nation that year! He was again named to the first-team All-MAC team. He also caught 17 passes for 157 yards and scored his only college receiving touchdown. In a game against Ohio, he set a new personal record with 241 rushing yards.
Jalen finished his college career with a total of 3,119 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns.
Professional Football Journey
Before the 2008 NFL draft, Jalen Parmele showed off his skills at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran a very fast 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. He also had an amazing vertical leap of 41.5 inches!
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins picked Jalen in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. The Dolphins' general manager thought Jalen would be their third-string running back. He also planned for Jalen to return kickoffs. Jalen worked hard in practice, even returning punts.
However, after three games, the Dolphins decided to release Jalen. He was then signed to their practice squad.
Baltimore Ravens
Jalen joined the Baltimore Ravens in December 2008. He played his first NFL game on December 28, running for 27 yards.
In 2009, Jalen became a key player for the Ravens. He became the team's main kick returner. He returned nine kickoffs for 283 yards, averaging 31.4 yards per return. His longest return was 53 yards! He also carried the ball five times for 17 yards and made six special teams tackles. In 2010, he continued his role as a backup returner. The Ravens released Jalen in September 2011.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jalen signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in May 2012. He started the season playing on special teams and returning kicks. When other running backs got hurt, Jalen stepped up and became the starting running back. He played in 11 games before getting injured in November. He finished the season with 143 rushing yards and 60 receiving yards. He also returned 10 kicks for 233 yards.
Other NFL Teams
After his time with the Jaguars, Jalen played for a few other NFL teams:
- He signed with the Tennessee Titans in May 2013 but was released before the season started.
- In May 2014, he joined the Arizona Cardinals. He played in one game before being released in September 2014.
- His last NFL team was the Cleveland Browns, who signed him in August 2015. He was released later that month.
