Parnell Dickinson facts for kids

Parnell Dickinson was born on March 14, 1953. He is a former American football player. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for one season.

During his career, he played in eight games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He completed 15 of 39 passes for 210 yards. He also threw one touchdown pass and five interceptions. His career ended with a passer rating of 25.5.

Dickinson was a starting quarterback for four years at Mississippi Valley State University. He was the first quarterback ever chosen by the Buccaneers in the NFL draft. He was picked in the seventh round of the 1976 NFL draft.

He was the backup quarterback behind Steve Spurrier in his first year. He played in eight games, including one start against the Miami Dolphins. In that game, Dickinson threw the first touchdown pass in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. His season ended early because of an injury.

College Football Career

Parnell Dickinson played college football for the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils. He was the team's starting quarterback from 1972.

In his first year, he played well against the Southern Jaguars. He completed 15 passes for 180 yards and ran for two touchdowns. At the end of that season, he was named to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) all-star team.

In his second year, Dickinson received the team's top sportsman award. This award was given to the player with the best attitude.

During his junior year in 1974, Dickinson threw for 1,667 yards and 21 touchdowns. For his first three seasons, he led the Southwestern Athletic Conference in total offense.

In his senior year, he helped his team win a comeback victory against Prairie View A&M. He threw a touchdown pass with just over a minute left to win the game 27–26. After this season, he was named to the Black College All-American football team for the second year in a row.

Playing in the NFL

After college, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Dickinson in the 1976 NFL draft. He was the 183rd player picked overall. The Buccaneers' coach, John McKay, thought Dickinson was a very good player.

Steve Spurrier was already the starting quarterback for the team. So, Dickinson competed for a backup spot during the offseason. He showed strong passes and earned his place on the team.

First NFL Games

Dickinson played his first professional game against the Houston Oilers. He completed one pass for 15 yards. In the next game, he rushed for 54 yards but threw an interception.

He got more playing time when Steve Spurrier was injured. On October 24, he started against the Miami Dolphins. This made him the team's first African-American starting quarterback. In that game, he completed all four of his passes for 51 yards. He also led a 71-yard drive that ended in a touchdown.

However, he twisted his foot and ankle during the game. This injury kept him off the field for a while.

Injury and End of Career

Dickinson returned to play two weeks later. He had his best game against the New York Jets, completing 7 of 13 passes for 103 yards.

His last game of the season was against the Cleveland Browns. He completed two passes for 29 yards. After his second pass, he was hit late and suffered a serious injury. He tore ligaments in his left knee, which ended his season. Even with the injury, people were hopeful about his future because he could run well.

Dickinson had knee surgery during the offseason. He tried to make the team again in 1977. However, the Buccaneers had new quarterbacks. He was released from the team in August 1977. He was briefly re-signed later that year but released again.

In 1978, Dickinson signed with the New England Patriots. He joined as a wide receiver to try and stay in the NFL. He was released a month later. He then played briefly for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League before ending his football career.

Life After Football

After retiring from football, Parnell Dickinson became an insurance salesman. He also opened two daycare centers.

In the 1980s, he became an offensive coordinator at Tampa Catholic High School. He was asked to join the school by his former Buccaneers teammate, Dave Lewis.

In 1992, Dickinson was honored as one of the first members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.

See also

• Racial issues faced by black quarterbacks