Training camp is an exciting time of year for NFL fans, but fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers may have even more to look forward to this time of year. Not only do they get unique access to players at Saint Vincent College, but they also get to see a new class inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor. This year’s class brings loads of excitement, including former running back Willie Parker getting the call. Once an undrafted free agent, Parker became a legend in Super Bowl XL, rushing for a 75-yard touchdown. Based on some comments from Art Rooney II, it seems people knew Parker would be special early in his NFL career.
In a video on Twitter from 93.7 The Fan, Rooney spoke about the first time he noticed Parker, pointing to one of his first practices in training camp in Latrobe, Pa.
“The first training camp, in fact I think it may have been over at the Latrobe scrimmage,” Rooney said. “He broke off a couple of runs that scrimmage and it was good, kind of like, ‘Who’s that guy?’ Of course, my brother Dan was quick to tell me who he was. From that point on, you started to notice him, he wound up making the team and then making history.”
The scrimmage Rooney is referring to may have been a regular practice, but it could have also been the Steelers’ special “Friday Night Lights” practice they have every year at a high school field in Latrobe. Parker was with the team from 2004-2009, being part of two Super Bowl-winning teams and making two Pro Bowls. That run in Super Bowl XL is still the longest run in Super Bowl history too. Not bad for an undrafted player who entered the league in the shadow of Jerome Bettis (among others).
Players have often talked about how training camp builds the foundation for a Super Bowl season, and it seems it also helped Parker get his career off the ground. Parker was known for his incredible speed, and it sounds like Rooney, who had only been the team’s president for a few years when Parker was a rookie, was forced to notice him. That’s how undrafted players make the team. They make people pay attention to the skills they have.
Without Parker, the Steelers may not have won that Super Bowl for Bettis in his final NFL game, so he deserves to be in the Hall of Honor for that alone. Although much of the attention on that play is given to Alan Faneca’s bone-crushing block, it wouldn’t have been possible without Parker’s vision and speed. He’ll forever be a champion, and now he is immortalized in Steelers history.
