|
Volume 5, No. 18
Fanatic Duke fan Christian Parker came to College Station on the weekend of Oct. 28-29 solely to honor his Aggie father, Sonny Parker, who was inducted into Texas A&M’s Athletic Hall of Fame. By the time the weekend was over, however, Sonny’s son acknowledged his visit had been an allegiance-altering experience. In fact, it was a spiritual awakening of sorts. The 13-year-old fully embraced the spirit of Aggieland and subsequently renounced the Devils of blue for good. "He came with all his Duke stuff and left with a suitcase full of maroon," said Christian’s mother, Lola Parker. "Chris has been to universities all over the country, and like most teen-agers, he’s a very independent thinker. Sonny told him before what a neat place Texas A&M was, but he wasn’t buying into it. "Then he experienced Texas A&M for himself. He couldn’t believe how sincere and genuine all the people were. He couldn’t believe the spirit. He said as we were leaving that this is where he wanted to go to school. He said, ‘Mom, I’m an Aggie. This place is incredible.’ It thrilled his father that Texas A&M had made such an impression on him." It was also fitting. After all, Sonny Parker thrilled A&M basketball fans like few others have ever done in the school’s history. And Parker definitely left an impression on all those who watched him lead the Aggies to back-to-back Southwest Conference titles in the mid-1970s. Parker led the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament in 1974-75, averaged 20.7 points per game as a senior in 1975-76 and was a first-team All-SWC performer both years. Only two A&M players have averaged at least 20 points per game since Parker departed. "He’s the most talented player we ever had at A&M," said Shelby Metcalf, the head coach of the Aggies from 1963-90. "And I’ve never seen a player with that much talent work that hard. "Sonny was really incredibly talented. We used to joke when watching the tape the day after a game that we needed to put it on slow motion, because he was so quick he just looked like a blur at regular speed." Parker stayed on the fast track at the next level, and he is still the last A&M player to make a significant impact in the NBA. Parker spent six seasons with the Golden State Warriors, averaging double-figures in three of those seasons and near double-figures for his career. He played on some great teams at Golden State and played with some of the NBA’s best players in that era, including Rick Barry, Robert Parish, World B. Free and Bernard King. Throughout all of his basketball successes and accomplishments at various levels, Parker says one of the most meaningful honors he has ever received was being inducted last month into the A&M Athletic Hall of Fame. He was only at A&M for two years, and before the induction ceremony, he had not been back to College Station in a dozen years. But Parker has always beamed with maroon pride at the mere mention of Texas A&M. He considered it an honor to carry the Aggie flag in the NBA. And finds it difficult to put into words just how much it meant to him to be recognized by his alma mater. "It is hard to describe," said Parker, who now lives in Chicago. "I was really excited about it and really appreciative. I think that honor meant so much to me because it went beyond just my basketball skills. They looked at my character. "There are many great players who have come and gone at A&M, and I think that they looked at a lot of the things I’ve done in representing A&M. I’ve always been so proud to be an Aggie." Aggies also have plenty of reasons to be proud of Parker. The father of seven children, ranging in age from 5 to 27, Parker has dedicated his life to caring for kids. His own and the less fortunate. Today, he works for the Jordan Boys and Girls Club in Chicago, named after Michael Jordan’s father. He also has his own Sonny Parker Youth Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with kids throughout the city of Chicago. "I’ve been doing a lot of programs through basketball as a tool and vehicle to capture their imaginations and bring them in," Parker said. "We also do some things in the academic and tutorial program, a mentorship program. I also run various leagues, including a college basketball league with all the top college players in the area. I do a lot of clinics and camps in basketball. "Basketball is a way for me to give back. Growing up here in Chicago, a lot of people gave me support. I am now blessed with the ability to give back to today’s kids. We had a meeting (recently) with some of the kids I work with, some seventh- and eighth-graders, and I was just telling them how important it is to seek their education first. We’ve had a lot of top players here, and we always preach, ‘no books, no ball.’ "And I tell them about how just getting to go to a great college like Texas A&M laid the foundation for so many things for me. It’s a lesson I really try to get into their heads." It’s a message his own children have obviously received. Parker’s oldest son is a graduate of the University of Oregon and now plays pro basketball overseas. He has another daughter in college now, and the four youngest children who live at home are already formulating their college plans. Of course, those plans are not set in stone, as Christian Parker would attest. Sonny Parker says one of the things that made his induction into the A&M Hall of Fame so special was the fact that his son and wife were on hand for the event. But even with part of his family on hand, Parker never envisioned just how emotionally moving the event would be. During the ceremony, Metcalf presented a watch to Christian Parker. It was the same watch that Sonny Parker had give to Metcalf 25 years earlier. "Sonny had been the MVP of a senior all-star game, and he had been given a watch with the inscription ‘Sonny P, MVP’ on it," Metcalf said. "Sonny had "To Coach Metcalf" inscribed on it, as well. "It had meant a lot to me that he did that, and that’s why I kept it for 25 years. But I told him now that I’m such an old man, time just gets in my way. So, I wanted his son to have it back." A teary-eyed Sonny Parker said that he was quite moved by Metcalf’s gesture. "Coach Metcalf and Mrs. Metcalf have always been like family to me," Parker said. "And to see Coach Metcalf present that to my son, I was just taken a little bit emotionally because he’s been so much to me and developed me not only as a basketball player, but as a person. He taught me about building character. "Then to share that experience and to get the watch back to me over some 25 years, it just made me so thankful to be a part of the Aggie family." Parker vows that he will not go so long between visits to College Station from this point forward, even hinting that it has crossed his mind to look into buying some real estate in the area. Regardless of whether he does that or not, Parker promises to get back to Texas A&M far more often. Especially now that he has a future Aggie in his home. "Texas A&M was a perfect fit for me 25 years ago, and it was really neat to see that Chris saw it may be the place for him, too," Parker said. "Texas A&M has changed so much since I was there going to school. I was so impressed to see the new buildings, the George Bush Library and the basketball facility, Reed Arena, that was great. "But maybe the thing I was most impressed with was how much A&M hasn’t changed. There are a lot more people now, but they are still friendly, still genuine and still all the things that make Aggies so great. "So, I’m going to try to make an annual visit. Maybe I can start doing some things with my youth foundation programs there. I know Christian can’t wait to go back. Now, I just need to get the rest of my kids hooked on Texas A&M."
|
.gif)
