From Sea Island to Seattle
Humility is not often associated with NFL football players. The nature of their profession calls for an assertive, if not aggressive personality. But spend a few minutes talking with Ron Parker, native son of St. Helena Island, and currently an NFL player with the Seattle Seahawks and his humility comes shining through. Born and raised right here, Ron says “I spent the first five years of my life in Port Royal, and then we moved to St. Helena Island, where I grew up way down by Hunting Island.”
Ron says he had a good start in his football career at Beaufort High School. “I started as a cornerback when I was a junior, which is the position I play today, and then I was a free safety my senior year.” He says of his high school coach, Mark Clifford, “He was a really good coach. “ When asked what the most valuable lesson he learned from Coach Clifford, Ron paused and thought for a minute. Then he looked up and said determinedly, “I learned to play through adversity.”
After graduating from Beaufort High School, Ron attended a junior college, but was looking for something more. After transferring to Newberry College he found the right fit. He says, “Coach Todd Knight started me out slow my first year, and then the second year I picked it up.” Picked it up? There’s that humility. Check out Ron’s statistics from the Newberry College Athletic Department’s website….
2010: The Sporting News Preseason All-American… Lindy’s First Team Preseason All-American… Consensus Draft Services Preseason All-American… D2Football.com Preseason first team All-American…
2009: South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year… Don Hansen’s Football Gazette First Team All-American… D2Football.com Second Team All-American… DAKTRONICS Second Team All-American… The State Newspaper All-South Carolina… Orangeburg Touchdown Club All-South Carolina… DAKTRONICS First Team All-Super Region Two… All-South Atlantic Conference First Team… South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Week, October 19…
At college Ron says he was “Always trying to get better. The path was cleared for me to always improve.” And today he has the same attitude, saying “I never think I am all done and can’t get better. And I like going back to Newberry and working out with the team. I like to talk to the guys and lead by example.”
Pro Career
Ron graduated from Newberry with a degree in Sports Management, completing his education before embarking on a pro football career. He was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks, but after his first year there, he went to the Oakland Raiders. Ron says , “It was a business decision I made at the time, but then the Seahawks exercised their ‘right’ and claimed me back in October 2011. “ He says “Seattle is good, that’s where all my brothers are at, and it is beautiful city and great place to live.”
He credits his professional success to growing up in a small town, “attending a small high school and a small college, those environments all helped me get to where I am now.” He says the biggest surprise about being in the NFL was, “Going up against the best. I couldn’t believe that I was competing against the best players, making plays on a high level.” When asked if they hit hard at that level he laughed and said, “They hit hard but that’s right up my alley!”
The Seahawks fans are famous for being loud; in fact their stadium is considered the loudest in the NFL. The fans even have their own number, homage to their passionate cheering, collectively they are known as “Number 12”. The point is to support their team of course, but also to intimidate the opposition. When asked how he handled being out there on the field in the midst of the bedlam, Ron laughed and said, “It brings me more energy and gets me ready to go!”
New Season
The Seahawks will have started training camp by the time this goes to press, which Ron says, “Feels like home.” They also have new uniforms this year (not pictured here), designed by Nike, Ron says “They are very sharp.” A relatively new team, the Seahawks joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. They have made one Superbowl appearance, in 2006, but lost the game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But as every sports fan knows, every season is a new opportunity. As Ron says, “This could be our year, we have a great team, and a hungry team, and we can do it!”
No Place like Home
“I like travelling, I like being on the road but there really is no place like home” Ron says. “I definitely miss lowcountry cooking, and all the seafood.”He says the game he is most looking forward to this season is the Seahawks against the Carolina Panthers, held in North Carolina, because “It is the game that is closest to Beaufort and I will see all my friends and family there.”
Part of a close knit family, Ron says, “All of my family is here. My Dad’s side is in Port Royal and my Mom’s side is on St. Helena.” Ron’s mother, Rose Parker, works at the Lady’s Island Montessori School and his father, Ronzo Parker is a truck driver. Sister Ronique also works at the Montessori School and Ron’s identical twin brother Donald works with Ron in Seattle, helping his brother throughout the season. Ron made sure to mention his first cousin, Justin Parker, who is making a big name for himself as a linebacker at Clemson. “He really has what it takes” Ron says of Justin. “He is definitely a player to watch. So sorry Gamecock fans, I pull for Clemson!”
Wherever his career takes him, Ron says,” I would like to come back here to Beaufort because there is no place like home.”
