North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame
Willie Parker was literally in the middle of one of the great North Texas teams of the late 1960s – he played center on the offensive line that protected All-Century quarterback Steve Ramsey.
Parker came to North Texas after two years at Wharton County Junior College, where he was Texas Junior College Football Federation All-Conference and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-America, and was Wharton’s MVP in 1968. A strong, quick center who rarely made mistakes, Parker was one of three North Texas offensive linemen (along with guards Glen Holloway and Mike Marr) named to the 1969 Missouri Valley All-Conference team.
“He may be the best center in the country,” North Texas coach Rod Rust said of Parker in 1970.
In 1970, Parker was named All-Conference and AP All-America.
Parker was selected in the third round of the 1971 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Parker was in the NFL for 11 years with the Buffalo Bills and 49ers.