James Thomas "Jim" Parker (April 3, 1934 - July 18, 2005) was a college and professional American football player in the 1950s and '60s. He is a member of the College and Professional Football Halls of Fame.
Parker was a guard for the Ohio State University Buckeyes from 1954 to 1956, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines. Parker was known for his size, strength and quickness, and these talents, used for clearing a path for running bac...
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James Thomas "Jim" Parker (April 3, 1934 - July 18, 2005) was a college and professional American football player in the 1950s and '60s. He is a member of the College and Professional Football Halls of Fame.
Parker was a guard for the Ohio State University Buckeyes from 1954 to 1956, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines. Parker was known for his size, strength and quickness, and these talents, used for clearing a path for running backs, helped demonstrate the feasibility of head coach Woody Hayes' three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense -- an offensive philosophy that had been questioned as suitable for big-time college football. Due in part to Parker, Hayes won his first national championship in 1954.
The next year, Parker opened holes to help Hopalong Cassady win the Heisman Trophy, and Parker was named as an All American by the Football Writers Association of America. In 1956, Parker was a unanimous All America selection and won the Outland Trophy. That year Parker...
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