They say you can’t teach speed. Willie Parker begs to differ.
“We full speed now, we full speed!” Parker said as he ran a running backs drill at St. David’s School football field in Raleigh.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers and North Carolina running back nicknamed “Fast Willie”, ran a free football for various ages Saturday.
“I always want to come back and give something huge to this community,” Parker said. “We just put it together and gave back.”
Parker is a Clinton, NC native, but now calls Durham home. He didn’t show off his signature speed, but former NC State and NFL receiver TJ Graham did. Graham won the fastest camper competition.
“It’s more show em how it can be done,” Graham said, “I’m going to keep pushing the envelope until I can’t at that time they can talk junk. Letting them know how it looks, letting them know how it feels and pushing them to places they haven’t been yet.”
Graham is the new head football coach at St. David’s. He was one of several former college and pro football players helping Parker coach.
“I like seeing the kids compete,” former UNC and NFL running back Shaun Draughn said. “They see one guy that might be a little better than them, that pushes them to be even better than what they are.”
Neither Draughn nor Parker were drafted and went on to NFL careers. Their story serving as an inspiration for the kids.
“I always come back to that one thing and that’s that mindset,” Parker said. “Hopefully it’s positive and a positive message that you’re putting into their mind.”
Parker owns the Super Bowl record for longest rush from his 75 yard touchdown in Pittsburgh’s victory over Seattle in Super Bowl XL. After two Super Bowls and two Pro Bowl apperances, his signature on a Steelers “Terrible Towel” still resonates.
“A lot of people in this area wouldn’t understand, but if you travel up North, and get off that Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania turnpike and make that right to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, you’ll understand what the “Terrible Towel” really means,” Parker said. “It just means a lot, it brings back memories and I love signing that towel.”