Parker Could Be Seminoles' Next Great Playmaker
Published: Sep 13, 2007
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TALLAHASSEE - Preston Parker fielded the punt at Florida State's 36. He dashed to his right, then made a sharp cut to his left. Before anyone could grab him, Parker shot from a swarm of would-be tacklers and zigzagged his way to UAB's 31-yard line.
Parker's 33-yard return Saturday provided a boost for the Seminoles - they trailed 10-0 at the time - and set up Gary Cismesia's 28-yard field goal, FSU's first points of the season at Doak Campbell Stadium.
"When he catches a dadgum punt, and he starts coming forward and there's a wall there, he don't care," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "He might just fly through that thing. The kid's fearless."
More importantly, Parker's shifty moves and versatility remind FSU coaches and fans of past players, the kind of game-breakers the Noles have lacked in recent years.
Once upon a time, FSU stars such as Deion Sanders, Sammie Smith, Charlie Ward, Tamarick Vanover, Warrick Dunn and Peter Warrick brought fans to their feet every time they touched the ball. But lately, the Noles have been short on "SportsCenter" moments.
Enter Parker, a sophomore receiver from Delray Beach who touched the football six times as a freshman - three rushes, two receptions and a kickoff return.
In FSU's first two games this season, Parker has 20 touches, including a team-leading eight receptions for 117 yards. He also is averaging 13.8 yards on eight punt returns, and leads the Noles with 122.5 all-purpose yards per game.
No one is ready to anoint Parker the next Deion, but Bowden shared an interesting anecdote this week from a few months ago, when offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher first got a chance to evaluate players.
"We spotted him in the spring," Bowden said of Parker. "Jimbo's comment was, 'This kid could play for LSU.' He's really doing some good stuff. He began to show [in the spring] that he was one of our most dangerous, productive players."
Despite Parker's breakout spring, question marks remained as fall camp opened. Parker missed the final two weeks of spring practice after separating his right shoulder. And early in fall camp, he broke a bone in his left hand, forcing him to wear a cast.
But when the Noles opened at Clemson on Labor Day, Parker was a large part of the game plan. He had his moments against Clemson, but the one Parker remembers most is his fumble at FSU's 24 that led to a 29-yard touchdown run by Clemson's James Davis, putting the Tigers up 14-0 barely 10 minutes into the game.
"That's all I can think about," Parker said. "I can't even think about stuff that I did good. The only thing I'm thinking about is the fumble."
Parker's outlook doesn't bother Fisher, who envisions the former high school quarterback fitting in more and more as the season progresses. Fisher stresses fundamentals and attention to detail in practice, so Parker's irritation at making a costly mistake bodes well in Fisher's mind.
"I love him," Fisher said. "He has big-play ability and he plays hard. He is tough. He is tenacious, but he has to get more disciplined in what he does. That is the thing he has to continue to grow at. He is trying now, [and] we just have to get more consistency out of him."
Against UAB, Parker began to flash the skills that have Fisher and Co. excited. He accounted for 172 all-purpose yards, including a career-long 36-yard catch.
Parker is confident he'll be more productive as he gains experience, especially as a punt returner, a new role for him.
"I'm adapting," he said. "Once you get a lot of punt returns you get used to it; you start to learn all the tricks and tips on how to break one. The trick is you've got hit the seam. Make somebody miss, hit the seam, and you've got to finish from there.
"They're looking for me to make plays, so I've got to make plays."
If nothing else, Parker already talks like a game-breaker.
Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.
