- Ace Parker
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Clarence "Ace" Parker Quarterback / Halfback Personal information Date of birth: May 17, 1912 Place of birth: Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Weight: 178 lb (81 kg) Career information College: Duke NFL Draft: 1937 / Round: 2 / Pick: 13 Debuted in 1937 for the Brooklyn Dodgers Last played in 1945 for the Boston Yanks Career history Career highlights and awards Career NFL statistics as of 1946 Rushing yards 1,108 Average 2.6 Touchdowns 10 Stats at pro-football-reference.com Pro Football Hall of Fame College Football Hall of Fame Clarence "Ace" Parker, (born May 17, 1912) is a former quarterback who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1937–1941), Boston Yanks (1945), and the New York Yankees. He was an All-American tailback at Duke University in 1936. Parker also played Major League Baseball during 1936 and 1937 with the Philadelphia Athletics.
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Early years
Ace Parker was the son of Ernest and Mabel Parker and grew up near Norfolk, Virginia. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, graduating with the class of 1933 and starring in five sports. He enrolled at Duke University as a freshman in 1933.
Duke career
At Duke, Parker competed in three sports: football, basketball, and baseball. From 1934 - 1936, he starred at tailback, doing most of the running and passing for Duke. He was second team All-American in 1935 and consensus All-American first team in 1936. He placed sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1936. Parker was a great open-field runner and probably the best punter in college football at the time. His 105 yard kickoff return against North Carolina is still a Duke school record. Parker also stood out as a baseball player at Duke, playing in 1935-1936. He was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955. He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1963, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1972, and was an inaugural member of the Duke University Sports Hall of Fame, inducted in 1975.
Early pro career
Parker was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers as the third pick of the second round in the 1937 NFL draft. Sammy Baugh was the only passer drafted ahead of Parker. Parker, who played for the Philadelphia Athletics of Major League Baseball beginning in 1937, originally had no intention of playing in the NFL. Baseball was the glamour pro sport at the time and the NFL had a rough, vulgar reputation. But perhaps because of his .117 batting average that year, he asked for and received permission from the A's to play football. Parker thus became a true two-sport phenomenon, playing both Major League Baseball and NFL football in both 1937 and 1938. Parker, playing various infield positions, batted .179 over two seasons with the A's, scoring 20 runs with 25 RBI over 94 games.
NFL stardom
When Parker joined the Dodgers in 1937, Brooklyn had been a perennial NFL cellar-dweller in the East Conference since 1930. With his running, passing, and punting ability, he brought them instant credibility. He led the team in passing in 1937 and every year he played. In 1938, he led Brooklyn to a 0.500 record and led the NFL in passing yards with 865. When legendary coach Jock Sutherland joined the Dodgers in 1940, Parker's career took off. In 1940, he threw for 817 yards and 10 TDs, rushed for 306 yards, caught 3 passes, including 2 for TDs, and led the league in points after touchdowns. The Dodgers finished only one game out of first, with an 8-3 record, and Parker was named the NFL MVP. In 1941, Parker continued to shine, but the Dodgers again finished second to the New York Giants, despite beating their New York rivals twice during the season. Parker's NFL career went on hold in 1942, as he, like many NFL players, left football to enlist in the Armed Services. After serving for over two years, Parker returned to the NFL, this time with the short-lived Boston Yanks, but at age 33, he took on a minor role.
He rejoined the former owner of the Dodgers, Dan Topping, in 1946 as part of the New York Yankees of the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Coached by former Washington Redskins coach Ray Flaherty and led by Parker, the Yankees won the AAFC East, giving Parker his only division title in pro football. The Yankees met the powerful Cleveland Browns in the championship game. The Yankees played well, but eventually succumbed to the Browns. Parker was 8 of 18 passing, for only 81 yards and an interception. Parker retired after the game, completing a fine career at age 34. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.
Later years
After his playing days, Parker became the head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Duke University. He was manager of the Durham Bulls from 1949–52, serving as player-manager for the first three seasons and finishing with a record of 303-266 (.533). He was Piedmont League manager of the year in 1949 and 1951. He was also a founding member of the Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club in Portsmouth, Virginia.
On August 13, 2008, Parker was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, honoring athletes, coaches and administrators who made contributions to sports in Southeastern Virginia.
As of 2011, Parker is the oldest living member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[1] As of October 2011, Parker is the oldest living former professional football player.[2]
See also
- Home run in first Major League at-bat
- List of oldest living Major League Baseball players
- Oldest Living Pro Football Players List
References
- ^ Molinaro, Bob (2008-08-13), Portsmouth sports legend's loyalty to the city makes him an ace among men, Virginian-Pilot, http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/portsmouth-sports-legends-loyalty-city-makes-him-ace-among-men, retrieved 2008-11-20
- ^ http://www.oldestlivingprofootball.com/oldestlivingproplayers.htm
External links
Preceded by
Parker HallNFL Most Valuable Player
1940 seasonSucceeded by
Don HutsonDuke Blue Devils head baseball coaches No coach (1889–1891) • No team (1892–1895) • No coach (1896–1900) • P. F. Schock (1901) • Otis Stocksdale (1902–1907) • M. T. Adkins (1908–1914) • Claude West (1915–1917) • Heine Manush (1917) • No team (1918) • Lee Gooch (1919) • Robert S. Doak (1920) • Pat Egan (1921) • H. G. Steiner (1922) • Howard Jones (1923–1924) • Bill Towe (1925) • G. B. Whitted (1926–1928) • Jack Coombs (1929–1952) • Ace Parker (1953–1966) • Jim Bly (1966–1967) • Tom Butters (1968–1970) • Enos Slaughter (1971–1977) • Tom D'Armi (1978–1984) • Larry Smith (1985–1987) • Steven E. Traylor (1988–1999) • Bill Hillier (2000–2005) • Sean McNally (2006– )
Joe F. Carr Trophy Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1972 Quarterbacks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Pre-Modern Era Modern Era Categories:- 1912 births
- Living people
- American football quarterbacks
- American football running backs
- American football punters
- American football placekickers
- Boston Yanks players
- Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players
- Duke Blue Devils baseball coaches
- Duke Blue Devils football coaches
- Duke Blue Devils football players
- New York Yankees (AAFC) players
- College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
- American military personnel of World War II
- Sportspeople of multiple sports
- Woodrow Wilson High School (Portsmouth, Virginia) alumni
- Duke Blue Devils baseball players
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