Ron Parker (born August 17, 1987) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

free safety Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their dut ...

. He was signed by the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2011. He had also played for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

, the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

, had a brief stint with the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

, and most notably played for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

for six seasons (2013-18). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for

Newberry College Newberry College is a private Lutheran college in Newberry, South Carolina. It has 1,250 students. Accreditation Newberry College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award bac ...

Early years

Parker's father, Ronzo, was a truck driver and his mother Rose worked at a Montessori public school. Parker has a twin name Don and he has an older sister Ronique. Parker was raised near

Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South ...

. Attended Beaufort High School, Lady's Island Middle and St Helena Elementary.

College career

Parker played for the Newberry College Wolves in the

South Atlantic Conference The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the southeastern United States. The SAC was founded in 1975 as a ...

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

. In 2009, Parker was selected to the first team All-American by Don Hansen's Football Gazette and to the second team All-American by D2Football.com and Daktronics. Parker also was selected to the first team all-Super Region selection by Daktronics and also was named to the all-South Atlantic Conference first team. Parker was selected to the first team All-American by D2Football.com and Don Hansen's Football Gazette. Parker was selected to the second team All-American by Daktronics and a third team Little All-American by the Associated Press following his senior season.

Professional career

Seattle Seahawks (first stint)

2011

Parker went undrafted in the

2011 NFL Draft The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York C ...

. On July 26, 2011, the

signed Parker to a three-year, $1.39 million

contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...

that includes a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $1,000 as an

. He was released on August 31, 2011 and was signed to the practice squad on September 5. On September 22, 2011, the Seattle Seahawks released Parker.

Oakland Raiders

On September 26, 2011, the

signed Parker to their practice squad. On October 1, 2011, he was promoted to the Raiders' active roster. On October 2, 2011, Parker made his professional regular season debut during a 31–19 loss to the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

in Week 4. On October 22, 2011, the Oakland Raiders released Parker.

Seattle Seahawks (second stint)

On October 24, 2011, the Seattle Seahawks claimed Parker off of waivers. Head coach

Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC Troja ...

named Parker the sixth cornerback on the depth chart, behind Richard Sherman,

Brandon Browner Brandon Kemar Browner (born August 2, 1984) is a former American football cornerback and convicted felon. In 2005, Browner signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State. Browner played four seasons with the Calgar ...

Byron Maxwell Byron S. Maxwell (born February 23, 1988) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, where he was a member of the Seahawks' defensive group known as the Legion of ...

Roy Lewis Roy Lewis (6 November 1913 – 9 October 1996) was an English writer and small press printer. Life and work Although born in Felixstowe, Lewis was brought up in Birmingham and educated at King Edward's School. After studying at University ...

, and Kennard Cox. Parker appeared in five games as a rookie in

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

, but was unable to record a statistic.

2012

Throughout training camp, Parker competed for a roster spot as a backup cornerback against Roy Lewis,

Phillip Adams Phillip Adams, Philip Adams, or Phil Adams may refer to: Sports * Phillip Adams (American football) (1988–2021), American football cornerback * Phillip Adams (sport shooter) (born 1945), Australian pistol shooter * Phil Adams (cricketer) (born 1 ...

Jeremy Lane Jeremy Rashaad Lane (born July 14, 1990) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Northwestern State University of Louisiana and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He b ...

, and

Coye Francies Coye Glenn Francies (born November 15, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. Francies grew up in Rancho Cordova, California and played college football at American River, Oregon State, and San Jose State. In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Clev ...

. On August 26, 2012, the Seattle Seahawks waived Parker.

Carolina Panthers

On September 2, 2012, the

signed Parker to their practice squad. On October 6, 2012, the Carolina Panthers promoted Parker to their active roster. On October 7, 2012, Parker recorded his first career tackle during a 16–12 loss to the

in Week 5. The following day, the Carolina Panthers released Parker, but re-signed him to their practice squad two days later. On October 17, 2012, the Carolina Panthers promoted Parker to the active roster then later released and signed to the practice squad on November 7, 2012.

Seattle Seahawks (third stint)

On December 5, 2012, Parker was signed by the Seahawks off the Panthers' practice squad. On December 16, 2012, Parker collected a season-high two solo tackles in the Seahawks' 50–17 victory at the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

in Week 15. On December 28, 2012, the Seattle Seahawks released Parker, but signed him to their practice squad three days later. Parker finished the

2012 NFL season The 2012 NFL season was the 93rd season of the National Football League and the 47th of the Super Bowl era. It began on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, with the defending Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants falling to the Dallas Cowboys ...

with three solo tackles in five games and zero starts.

2013

On January 15, 2013, the Seattle Seahawks signed Parker to a two-year, $1.20 million contract. Throughout training camp, Parker competed for a roster spot as a backup cornerback against

DeShawn Shead DeShawn Anthony Shead (born June 28, 1989) is a former American football cornerback and current coach. He is a defensive assistant/assistant defensive backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He signed with th ...

Will Blackmon William Edwards Blackmon (born October 27, 1984) is a former American football safety and return specialist. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles, and was drafted in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Pack ...

, Byron Maxwell,

Tharold Simon Tharold Dwight Simon (born March 6, 1991) is a former American football cornerback. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and was a member of the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII championship team. He playe ...

, and

Walter Thurmond Walter Riley Thurmond III (born August 12, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He won Super ...

. On August 13, 2013, the Seattle Seahawks released Parker.

Kansas City Chiefs (first stint)

On September 1, 2013, the

claimed Parker off of waivers. Head coach

Andy Reid Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...

named Parker the fifth cornerback on the depth chart to start the regular season, behind Sean Smith,

Brandon Flowers Brandon Richard Flowers (born June 21, 1981) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and philanthropist, best known as the lead singer, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band the Killers. In addition to his w ...

Dunta Robinson Willie Dunta Robinson ( ; born April 11, 1982) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at South Carolina and was drafted by the Houston Texans with the 10th overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft. Robinson also play ...

, and

Marcus Cooper Marcus Cooper Sr. (born February 1, 1990) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football for Rutgers University. Cooper has also ...

. On September 15, 2013, Parker recorded one tackle and made his first career sack on Cowboys' quarterback

Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Eastern Illino ...

during the Chiefs' 17–16 win against the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

in Week 2. On December 15, 2013, Parker broke up a pass and made his first career interception in the Chiefs' 56–31 victory at the

in Week 15. Parker made his first career interception off a pass attempt by Raiders' quarterback

Terrelle Pryor Terrelle Pryor Sr. (born June 20, 1989) is a former American football wide receiver and quarterback. Considered the most recruited high school football-basketball athlete in southwestern Pennsylvania since Tom Clements, Pryor was widely regarde ...

, that was originally intended for tight end

Nick Kasa Nicholas Kasa (born November 5, 1990) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of th ...

, and returned it for a 15-yard gain in the fourth quarter. In Week 17, Parker earned his first career start and collected a season-high six solo tackles, broke up two passes, and intercepted a pass by

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...

during a 27–24 loss at the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

. He finished the 2013 NFL season with 17 solo tackles, three pass deflections, two interceptions, and one sack in 16 games and one start. The

finished the 2013 NFL season second in the

AFC West The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...

with an 11–5 record and earned a wildcard berth. On January 4, 2014, Parker appeared in his first career playoff game and made one solo tackle in their 45–44 loss at the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

in the AFC Wildcard Game.

2014

Throughout training camp, Parker competed to be a starting cornerback against Sean Smith, Marcus Cooper, and

Phillip Gaines Phillip Gaines (born April 4, 1991) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rice Owls football, Rice. High school c ...

. Head coach Andy Reid named Parker a starting cornerback to start the regular season in 2014. He started alongside Marcus Cooper and safeties

Eric Berry James Eric Berry (born December 29, 1988) is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and recog ...

and

Husain Abdullah Husain Ibn Muhammed Abdullah (born July 27, 1985) is a former American football free safety. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and also played for the Kansas City Chief ...

. He started in the Kansas City Chiefs' season-opener against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

and recorded six solo tackles and broke up a pass in their 26-10 loss. Parker started at strong safety in place of Eric Berry who was inactive for five games (Weeks 3-8) with an ankle injury. On October 26, 2014, Parker made four solo tackles, a pass deflection, a sack, and intercepted a pass during a 34-7 victory against the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arri ...

in Week 8. In Week 11, he collected a season-high 11 solo tackles in the Chiefs' 24-20 win against the

. Parker was moved to strong safety for the last five games of the regular season after Eric Berry was diagnosed with

Hodgkin's lymphoma Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes. The condition wa ...

. He finished the

2014 NFL season The 2014 NFL season was the 95th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and the 49th of the Super Bowl era. The season began on Thursday, September 4, 2014, with the National Football League Kickoff game, annual kickoff ga ...

with a career-high 94 combined tackles (81 solo), 12 pass deflections, one interception, one sack, and a forced fumble in 16 games and 15 starts.

2015

Parker became an

unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2015 and received interest from multiple teams, including the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

, and

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

. On March 16, 2015, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Parker to a five-year, $30 million contract that included $8 million guaranteed and a

of $5 million. Parker entered training camp slated as the starting strong safety. Head coach Andy Reid named him the starter to begin the regular season, alongside free safety Husain Abdullah. In Week 4, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles in the Chiefs' 36-21 loss at the

. On November 1, 2015, Parker recorded four solo tackles and made a season-high two sacks on Lions' quarterback

Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected f ...

during a 45-10 win against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

in Week 8. He amassed a total of five sacks in 2015, setting a Chiefs single-season sack record for defensive backs. He finished the season with 78 tackles, 12 passes defensed, a forced fumble, and three interceptions. Parker set a franchise record for most career sacks by a defensive back in Week 17 of the 2015 season, when he sacked Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.

2016

Parker started all 16 games for the Chiefs at safety again in 2016, recording 61 tackles, 59 passes defense

2017

In 2017, Parker once again started all 16 games for Kansas City. He made 67 tackles and recorded two interceptions. He also recovered two fumbles.

2018

On March 12, 2018, Parker was released by the Chiefs after five seasons.

Atlanta Falcons

On June 25, 2018, Parker signed with the

. He was released on August 31, 2018.

Kansas City Chiefs (second stint)

Parker signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on September 2, 2018, just a few days after the Falcons released him. He played in 15 games with 14 starts, finishing third on the team with 77 tackles, along with five passes defensed, and two interceptions. On October 21, Parker scored his first NFL touchdown after intercepting a pass from

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

quarterback

Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Red Rifle", Dalton previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and ...

and returning it for a touchdown. On January 15, 2019, Parker was released by the Chiefs.

Retirement

Parker announced his retirement on January 6, 2020.

References

External links

Newberry Wolves bioKansas City Chiefs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Ron 1987 births Living people People from Saint Helena Island, South Carolina Players of American football from South Carolina American football cornerbacks American football safeties Independence Pirates football players Newberry Wolves football players Seattle Seahawks players Oakland Raiders players Carolina Panthers players Kansas City Chiefs players Atlanta Falcons players