Eric Parker (American football)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| San Diego Chargers — No. 88 | |
| Wide receiver | |
| Date of birth: April 14, 1979 | |
| Place of birth: Shorewood, Illinois | |
| Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | Weight: 180 lb (82 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
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| 2002 for the San Diego Chargers | |
| Career history | |
| College: Tennessee | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at NFL.com | |
Eric Samuel Parker (born April 14, 1979 in Shorewood, Illinois) is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.
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[edit] Early years
Parker attended Joliet West High School in Joliet, Illinois.
[edit] College career
Parker attended the University of Tennessee after graduating from Joliet West.
[edit] NFL career
[edit] San Diego Chargers
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 as an undrafted free agent, but was released by the Texans[1] 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. He is often referred to by fans as "Mr. Clutch." Parker also handles punt return duties for the Chargers.
In 2006, Parker and then #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, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver 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 two passes and fumbled a crucial third-quarter punt, which led to 3 points for the opposing team.
In 2007, Eric Parker injured his toe during training camp. This led to the Chargers Putting him on injured reserve, and him missing the entire 2007 season.
