"You should have seen it," Willie Parker Sr., said "I don't know where the idea came from, but they'd have a guy on the far end calling for the dog when the race started. You'd see those two at full gallop, running to the finish line. Willie didn't win, but it was amazing to see so much speed."
This is just another chapter in the legend of "Fast" Willie, a man who's been clocked at 4.23 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a man who hasn't lost a foot race (to a human being) since he finally beat a neighborhood kid nicknamed "Rabbit" his freshman year of college, a man who'd sprint by his father's car so he'd get home before the old man.
And a man who figures to start at tailback for the Steelers in the regular-season opener Sept. 11 against Tennessee.
"There's one word to describe him: 'Speed,' " cornerback Ike Taylor said.
Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El offered another.
"Mo-o-o-ving," Randle El said. "Man, can he move."
Parker, an undrafted second-year player from the University of North Carolina, is moving up the Steelers' depth chart with all the speed of those pit bulls, most recently surpassing Verron Haynes as the top backup to Jerome Bettis (calf) and Duce Staley (knee).
The best Parker can remember, he earned the nickname "Fast" in junior high.
"I was about 12 or 13 when I started to beat everybody in the neighborhood in races," Parker said. "But there was this one girl who used to beat all the boys -- and she even beat me. So, I started practicing on my speed, because I couldn't take a girl beating me. I finally beat her."
And the legend of "Fast" Willie was born.
Soon after, Parker was blazing his trail in the pee-wee football leagues of Clinton. Legend has it, his first run from scrimmage went for a 70-yard touchdown. The shows kept going from there.
"I would sit in the stands at his games and ask, 'Who is that fast boy running up and down the field,' " said Willie Sr., who coached his youngest son in grade school. "People would turn and say, 'That's Willie.' "
Those words were heard frequently during Parker's prep career at Clinton High. He ran for 1,801 yards, averaging 12.3 per carry, in leading Clinton to the state playoffs his senior year. As a junior, his 11.8 yards-per-carry average took Clinton to the North Carolina state title.
All was good in "Fast" Willie's world back then, especially when Carolina coach Carl Torbush handed him a scholarship.
"I was happy for the time being, but ..." Parker said.
This is where the legend of "Fast" Willie took a lengthy detour.
First, Torbush was replaced by John Bunting after Parker's freshman year, a year in which Parker ran for 355 yards on 84 carries. The Bunting-Parker pairing was the worst since Mike Tyson and Robyn Givens.
Bunting wanted Parker to gain weight and become more of a power back. Parker, who was 200 pounds at the time, wanted nothing to do with Bunting's plan.
"He said to me, 'If Willie ain't going to do it, it's my way or Willie's going to hit the highway,' " Parker said of a conversation he had with Bunting.
Parker would never carry more than 83 times in each of his final three seasons, despite opening the year as a starter in his sophomore and junior seasons.
"They told him he (stunk)," fellow linebacker Joey Porter yelled earlier this week, when Parker was being interviewed about his college career. Parker shook his head in agreement.
But that might not be a complete characterization of what the North Carolina staff truly thought of Parker. Andre Powell, the running backs coach at UNC, arrived at Chapel Hill with Bunting in 2001. He offered some thoughts on Parker's unfulfilling college career.
"In retrospect, we probably could have done some things differently with Willie," Powell said Monday. "But we were trying to develop our own style. When we got there, North Carolina was a finesse team, but we were bound and determined to be a (physical) running team. We wanted things done a certain way. We have more 1,000-yard rushers in our history than any other program. We hadn't had one since 1997. We wanted to get back to that."
Parker, though, never bought into the new staff's power-ball philosophy.
"For whatever reason, we never could get on the same page," said Powell, who helped mentor Tiki Barber at the University of Virginia. "But we have a lot of respect for Willie here. In fact, of all the players I've coached, I'm most proud of him. He left here and went undrafted and now look at him -- he's on the verge of starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers."
Parker's father said Willie's problems at UNC went far deeper than a coaching change. Willie's best friend from home was murdered his sophomore year.
"He crumbled when he heard that," Willie Sr. said. "The coaches thought they could get him to open up, but they couldn't. He was down for a long time. But through all of this, Willie took everything like a man. He didn't complain about not playing at North Carolina. I'm surprised he didn't leave and go somewhere else. But he held strong, and he's made his way now."
The Steelers have seen Parker go from project to projectile, a bullet-fast back who is stronger than some might believe.
"It wouldn't be right to say he lacks power because he's not as big as Jerome and Duce (Staley)," free safety Chris Hope said of Parker, 5-foot-10, 209 pounds. "He doesn't have much body fat on him. That's all muscle. He has the combination -- speed and strength."
Parker has stood out in the preseason, rushing for 112 yards on 11 carries (10.2 per attempt), including sprints of 51, 37 and 21 yards. Cowher is so enamored with him that he's holding him out of tomorrow's preseason finale at Carolina to keep him healthy for the opener.
Teammates such as Bettis and Ben Roethlisberger sang Parker's praises in the locker room as recently as yesterday. He continues to sell himself to the coaching staff with his work ethic.
Parker's goal is to keep the legend of "Fast" Willie going, though he takes nothing for granted.
"I feel like a fighter, but it's not over," Parker said. "I got to keep fighting. There are a lot of people out there who don't know what Willie Parker can do because Willie Parker has been on the sideline for so long, even at Carolina. So, I really haven't made it yet. I haven't done anything yet."
Willie Parker #39
Willie Everette Parker born (November 11, 1980 in Clinton, North Carolina) is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His excellent speed has gained him the nickname, "Fast Willie."High School Years
Willie Parker attended Clinton High School in Clinton, North Carolina and was a letterman in football. He was a two-time All-Conference and a two-time All-Region honoree. As a junior, he rushed for 1329 yards and 20 touchdowns and helped lead his team to the state 2A title. As a senior, he rushed for 1801 yards and 18 touchdowns and was also named the County Player of the Year.College Career
He attended the University of North Carolina, where he only played sparingly (181 yards on 48 carries in his senior year). On his combine he ran a 4.2 on the 40 yard dash.NFL Career
Parker was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Steelers in 2004, largely as a favor from the Rooney family. While at UNC, Parker displayed great speed but little vision, resulting in inconsistent play which led to him being benched in favor of Ronnie McGill during his senior year. He spent the 2004 NFL season as a backup player behind Jerome Bettis, Duce Staley and Verron Haynes. During the 2004 season he had his most impressive game on week 17 in Buffalo. Duce Staley started the game and played most of the first quarter; Parker took the rest of the game. Parker ran for 102 yards in the remaining 3 quarters, including a very long sprint that setup a game controlling drive. This win at Buffalo cemented the #1 seed for the Steelers that year. It has been considered that it was this game that got head coach Bill Cowher's attention. He would put Parker in for much of the 2005 Preseason games.In his second year, he earned the starting job after Bettis and Staley missed the first part of the season with injuries. By default he had to play the first game against the Tennessee Titans. He gained 161 rushing yards in 22 attempts, an average of 7.3 yards per carry. With a 45 yard streak, and a 48 yard screen play, he was getting major attention from Coach Cowher. After following up this performance with another 100+ yard game against the Texans, Cowher said "He's here to stay." He finished with 255 carries for 1,202 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also finished the season with 218 yards receiving and one touchdown.
Super Bowl XL
Parker scored a 75-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XL, the longest rushing play in Super Bowl history. That honor was previously held by Marcus Allen in the Super Bowl XVIII against the Washington Redskins.Alan Faneca pulled and made the block that sprung him for the TD. Parker finished the game with 93 yards on 10 carries and an average of 9.3 yards a carry.
2006-
In 2006, Parker signed a major contract with the Steelers, solidifying his future role on the team. Bill Cowher was quoted as saying that Parker would be a workhorse and receive the goal-line carries in his role as the starter, making him the bona fide #1 running-back in Pittsburgh. On November 12th, 2006, in a home game against the New Orleans Saints, Willie ran wild. He finished the day with 213 yards on 22 carries, 5 yards short of the greatest single-game rushing total in Steeler history. His two long gains of 72 and 76 yards set up Willie touchdowns that capped off the Pittsburgh victory, 38-31. His 76-yard sprint late in the 4th quarter was the longest rush in Heinz Field history.
On December 7th Willie Parker broke the All Time Steelers rushing record for a single game gaining 223 yards on 32 carries. The record was previously held by Frenchy Fuqua. Parker also became the only Steelers running back to have two 200+ yard games in the same year.
Parker was voted into his first Pro Bowl in 2006.
PRO
(23-15/4-4): Went from an undrafted rookie free agent to becoming the Steelers' starting RB in 2005…uses his 4.3 speed to break many big plays, including a Super Bowl record 75-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XL…rushed for over 1,200 yards in his first full year as a starter, which could have been higher had he not missed a game due to an ankle injury.2005
(15-15/4-4): Finished the season with 1,202 yards (the sixth highest total in team history) on 225 carries (5.8 avg.) and four TDs…became the first Steelers' rusher to gain 1,000 since Jerome Bettis did it in 2001 (1,072) and is the first back other than Bettis to rush for 1,000 yards since Barry Foster in 1992…broke a 75-yard run for his first postseason touchdown, the longest run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history, surpassing Marcus Allen's 74-yard run in Super Bowl XVIII…9/11 vs. Tennessee: Made first career start…set a career high and team Kickoff Weekend record with 161 yards rushing on 22 carries (7.3 avg.), including an 11-yard TD run…had a 45 yard run from scrimmage…totaled 209 yards from scrimmage, including a 48-yard reception on a screen pass…earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors…9/18 at Houston: Started his second career game and recorded his third consecutive 100-yard performance, dating back to last year…rushed 25 times for 111 yards (4.4 avg.) and one TD…had a long run of 19 yards on his first rushing attempt…9/25 vs. New England: Started his third consecutive game…rushed 17 times for 55 yards and had one catch for minus (-6) yards…10/10 at San Diego: Rushed for 26 yards on 10 carries…caught one pass for 14 yards…10/16 vs. Jacksonville: Had 55 yards on 21 rushes (2.6 avg.) and a long 12…10/23 at Cincinnati: Started at running back for the sixth straight game…rushed for 131 yards on 18 carries (7.3 avg.) and a 37-yard touchdown…marked the third 100-yard rushing game of the season (fourth in his career)…10/31 vs. Baltimore: Started the seventh straight game and finished with a game high 63 yards on 14 carries (4.5 avg.)…also caught two passes out of the backfield for 18 yards…11/6 at Green Bay: Started at running back for the eighth straight game…rushed five times for 13 yards (2.6 avg.) with a long of eight…also had one reception for 10 yards…left the game with an ankle sprain…11/13 vs. Cleveland: Was inactive due to ankle injury…11/20 at Baltimore: Started at running back for the ninth time this season…rushed 18 times for 59 yards (3.3 avg.) and a long of 14…caught two passes for 22 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown pass with 5:15 remaining in regulation to tie the game at 13-13…was his first career touchdown receiving…11/28 at Indianapolis: Started at running back for the 10th time this season…led the team with 43 yards on 12 carries (3.6 avg.)…had a long run of 24 yards…tied for the team lead with four receptions for 23 yards (5.8 avg.)…12/4 vs. Cincinnati: Rushed for 71 yards on 15 carries (7.1 avg.) and a long of 17…caught one pass for 11 yards…12/11 vs. Chicago: Compiled 113 all-purpose yards on 23 touches (4.9 avg.)...rushed for 68 yards on 21 carries (3.2 avg.) and caught two passes for 45 yards...caught a 45-yard screen pass on the game's opening touchdown drive…12/18 at Minnesota: Rushed for 81 yards on 14 carries (5.8 avg.) with a long of 49…also caught two passes for 16 yards and a long of nine…12/24 at Cleveland: Rushed for 130 yards on 17 carries (7.6 avg.)…broke a career-long 80-yard touchdown run in the second half, tying the fourth-longest run in franchise history (Kordell Stewart, 12/22/96 at Carolina)…the 80-yard score also gave him more than 1,000 yards on the season, becoming the first Steelers' rusher to gain 1,000 since Jerome Bettis did it in 2001 (1,072)…is the first back other than Jerome Bettis to rush for 1,000 yards since Barry Foster in 1992…1/1 vs. Detroit: Started at running back…rushed for 135 yards on a career-high 26 carries (5.2 avg.)…caught one pass for 17 yards…finished the season with 1,202 rushing yards, the sixth-highest single-season total in team history…his 4.7 avg. rushing tied Rocky Bleier (1976) for eighth best in team history…AFC Wild Card Game 1/8 at Cincinnati: Started at RB and gained 38 yards on 16 carries…caught three passes for 41 yards including a 19-yard TD reception…TD reception was first postseason TD catch by a Steelers running back since Rocky Bleier in Super Bowl XIII (Jan. 21, 1979)…AFC Divisional Game 1/15 at Indianapolis: Rushed for 59 yards on 17 carries (3.5 avg.) with a long of 13…caught three passes for 19 yards (6.3 avg.) with a long of 12…AFC Championship Game 1/22 at Denver: Started at RB and gained 35 yards on 14 carries (2.5 avg.)…caught three passes for 20 yards (6.7 avg.)…Super Bowl XL 2/5 vs. Seattle: Rushed for 93 yards on 10 carries (9.3 avg.)…rushed for his first postseason touchdown with 75-yard run on the team's first possession in the third quarter to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead…75-yard touchdown run is the longest run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history, surpassing Marcus Allen's 74-yard run in Super Bowl XVIII…also had one catch for one yard…handed the ball off to Antwaan Randle El on a gadget 43-yard TD play.2004
(8-0/0-0): Made the final 53-man roster in 2004 as a rookie free agent…led the team in rushing during the preseason with 202 rushing yards on 46 carries (4.4 avg.)…scored two TDs…11/7 vs. Philadelphia: Made his first NFL regular-season appearance with the absence of Duce Staley…finished with 14 yards on three carries, including a long of 10 yards...11/14 at Cleveland: Was active for the second straight week with injuries to the running back position…finished with 44 yards on eight carries (5.5 avg.) and a long of 24 yards...12/5 at Jacksonville: Had a pivotal 12-yard run of the Steelers' final game-winning drive…also had one reception for 12 yards...12/12 vs. N.Y. Jets: Had one carry for 14 yards...1/2 at Buffalo: Produced his first 100-yard rushing performance in his most significant action of the season…gained 102 yards on 19 carries (5.4 avg.), including a long of 58 yards, which set up the Steelers' game-clinching field goal and was the Steelers' longest run from scrimmage since Oct. 5, 1997, when Kordell Stewart ran 74 yards for a TD at Baltimore…also had two receptions for four yards.COLLEGE:
Earned "Super Ram" status in the weight room and was a member of Carolina's strength & conditioning honor roll in summer of 2003. 2003: Played in nine games as a senior…rushed for 181 yards on 48 attempts, an average of 3.8 yards per carry…caught seven passes for 28 yards. 2002: Played in 11 games as a junior and started two…started the season-opener against Miami (Ohio) and at Virginia…finished second on the team with 70 carries for 236 yards and one touchdown…also caught 12 passes for 104 yards. 2001: Started the first three games of the season as a sophomore…played in nine games total…was second on the team in rushing with 400 yards on 83 carries and had three touchdowns…caught two passes for 26 yards. 2000: Had a roller-coaster season as a freshman, but came on strong at the end of the year…earned the starting job after spring practice, but injured his back in fall workouts and was not completely healthy until the Virginia game, eight games into the season…was second on the team in rushing with 84 carries for 355 yards (4.2 avg.)…scored four touchdowns…majored in African-American history.PERSONAL:
Attended Clinton High School…earned all-conference and all-region honors as a junior and senior…rushed for 1,801 yards (12.3 avg.) and 18 touchdowns in leading Clinton to the state 2-A quarterfinals...made 30 tackles, including 2.5 quarterback sacks, and intercepted two passes…was voted County Player of the Year…rushed for 1,329 yards (11.8 yards per carry) and 20 touchdowns as a junior, leading the Dark Horses to the state 2-A title…has one older sister and two older brothers…Full name: Willie Everette Parker.Career Single-Game Highs
Regular Season
Yards Rushing– 223 (12/07/06 vs. Cleveland)Rushing Attempts– 32 (12/07/06 vs. Cleveland)
Longest Run– 80t (12/24/05 at Cleveland)
Receptions– 7 (11/05/06 vs. Denver)
Yards Receiving– 67 (11/05/06 vs. Denver)
Longest Reception– 48 (9/11/05 vs. Tennessee)
Postseason
Yards Rushing– 93 (2/5/06 vs. Seattle)*Rushing Attempts– 17 (1/15/06 at Indianapolis)
Longest Run– 75t (2/5/06 vs. Seattle)*
Receptions– 3 (Three times, Last time: 1/23/06 at Denver)
Yards Receiving– 41 (1/8/06 at Cincinnati)
Longest Reception– 19t (1/8/06 at Cincinnati)
* Game played in Detroit at Super Bowl XL