Eric Parker (football player)
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| Eric Parker | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 14, 1979 (age 27) |
| Place of birth |  Shorewood, Illinois |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver Punt Returner |
| College | Tennessee |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2002-Present | San Diego Chargers |
Eric Samuel Parker (born April 14, 1979 in Shorewood, Illinois) is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Tennessee. Parker is well-known for his good pair of hands and his ability to get open on a passing play.
Parker attended Joliet West High School in Joliet, Illinois.
[edit] NFL Career
Coming out of college, Parker was labeled as injury-prone and thus was passed over in the draft. He was originally invited to the Houston Texans training camp, but he left shortly after arriving and considered a life without football. Shortly after this, the Chargers invited him to their camp. He spent some time on the practice squad and eventually made the team in late 2002.
Parker had a productive campaign in 2003 before a shoulder injury cut his season short. His best season was in 2005 when he caught 57 passes for 725 yards. During the 2006 offseason, the Chargers signed Parker to a new five year deal.
Parker does not typically post big numbers, but many of his catches are for key first downs and he is praised by his teammates for his route-running abilities. Parker also handles punt return duties for the Chargers.
In 2006, Parker and #1 wide receiver Keenan McCardell both ended the season with zero touchdown catches. It was one of the few times in the history of the NFL that a starting WR duo had no touchdowns. Teammates LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson accounted for the majority of the Chargers' scores.
Eric's 2006 season came to a disappointing end in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. In a game the Chargers lost to the New England Patriots by three points, Parker dropped multiple passes and fumbled a crucial third-quarter punt, which led to 3 points for the opposing team.
