Bernie Parrish

Bernard Paul Parrish (April 29, 1936 – October 23, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for eight seasons during the 1950s and 1960s. Parrish played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL and the Houston Oilers of the AFL. Parrish's football memoirs later stirred controversy.

Early life

Parrish was born in Long Beach, California, in 1936. He grew up in Gainesville, Florida, where he attended P.K. Yonge High SchooldatabaseFootball.com, Players, . Retrieved June 19, 2010. and played high school football and baseball for the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave.

College career

Parrish accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, and played halfback and defensive back for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football team in 1956 and 1957. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 105, 111, 114, 184 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011. Memorably, Parrish was named Associated Press "Back of the Week" for his performance in the Gators' 14–7 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, including rushing for 111 yards, scoring both touchdowns, kicking both extra points, catching an interception, and making seven tackles—including one to prevent the Commodores' tying score.Associated Press, " Bernie Parrish Selected As Back Of Week", Gettysburg Times, p. 5 (November 20, 1957). Retrieved June 21, 2010. He also played second base for coach Dave Fuller's Florida Gators baseball team from 1956 to 1958. As a junior in 1958, he batted .433 and led the Gators in runs batted in, hits, doubles and home runs, received first-team All-Southeastern conference (SEC) honors,2009 Florida Gators Baseball Media Guide, Records , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 130–131 (2009). Retrieved June 21, 2010. and was the Gators' first-ever first-team baseball All-American.2009 Florida Gators Baseball Media Guide, History , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 87 & 89 (2009). Retrieved June 21, 2010." Parrish, Houser, Make All-American Team", Miami News, p. A41 (June 22, 1958). Retrieved June 21, 2010.

Parrish decided to forgo his senior year of NCAA eligibility, and accepted a Major League Baseball bonus contract. Parrish returned to Gainesville during the NFL off-season to complete his degree and graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in building construction in 1960. He was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 13, 2014.

Professional career

The Cleveland Browns selected Parrish in the ninth round (108th pick overall) of the 1958 NFL draft,Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1958 National Football League Draft . Retrieved June 19, 2010. and he played for the Browns from to .National Football League, Historical Players, Bernie Parrish. Retrieved June 20, 2010. Memorably, he returned one interception for 92 yards and a touchdown in 1960, and intercepted a pass from the great Y. A. Tittle in his last game in 1964 (Tittle himself had to tackle Parrish to keep him from scoring). Parrish was a key man of the Browns' defense on their run to winning the 1964 NFL championship. In his seven seasons with the Browns, he had 29 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns. After playing in one game of the season, Parrish requested that he be released because the Browns asked him to share time at his position with another player,Associated Press, " Defensive Back Signs With Oilers"] The Victoria Advocate, p. 14A (September 22, 1966). Retrieved June 21, 2010. and played the balance of the 1966 season (11 games) for the Houston Oilers of the AFL before retiring at season's end.

In his eight-year professional football career, Parrish played in 105 regular season games, recorded a total of 31 interceptions, and returned those interceptions for 557 yards and three touchdowns.

Life after the NFL

During his time with the Browns, Parrish served as team representative to the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), and later NFLPA vice president. After retiring as a player, Parrish worked with the Teamsters in the late 1960s in an unsuccessful attempt to organize a new Teamsters-affiliated NFL/AFL players' union. At the Teamsters, he worked for Harold J. Gibbons, the heir apparent to Jimmy Hoffa.

In 1971, Parrish wrote a best-selling book, They Call It A Game, published by The Dial Press, about the economics and politics of the NFL."", Time (September 13, 1971). Retrieved June 19, 2010. His book included the controversial allegation that the NFL had fixed the outcomes of some of its games.Robert H. Boyle, "", Sports Illustrated (November 1, 1971). Retrieved June 20, 2010. Some critics, however, expressed the opinion that Parrish had failed to substantiate such claims in any material way.See, e.g., Paul Zimmerman, " They Call It A Game", The New York Times, p. BR44 (September 26, 1971). Retrieved June 26, 2010.

Parrish enjoyed a second career as a hotel developer before retiring to spend more time with his wife and family.Les Carpenter, " Parrish Tackles NFLPA Head-On Seeking Better Pensions for Retirees", The Washington Post (June 17, 2007). Retrieved June 20, 2010. In 2007, Parrish and former Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb Adderley filed a class action suit on behalf of retired NFL players against the NFLPA and Players, Inc., a subsidiary of the NFLPA, over retired players' benefits derived from player image and name licensing fees.Alan Schwarz, " Pro Football; 2 Former N.F.L. Players Sue Over Sharing of Fees", The New York Times (February 15, 2007). Retrieved June 20, 2010. While Parrish was eventually dismissed from the suit as a lead plaintiff of the represented class,Paul Elias, " Former NFL players can sue union over licensing deal", USA Today (May 2, 2008). Retrieved June 21, 2010. the trial jury found in favor of the retired players and awarded a $28.1 million judgment against the NFLPA and Players, Inc., including $21 million in punitive damages.Alan Schwarz, " Court Verdict for N.F.L. Retirees Starts New Era", The New York Times (November 11, 2008). Retrieved June 21, 2010. The NFLPA appealed the judgment in February 2009,Associated Press, " NFLPA to appeal $28.1 million payout", ESPN (February 5, 2009). Retrieved June 21, 2010. but eventually settled the case without further litigation.Chris Mortensen, " Sources: NFLPA settles Adderley suit", ESPN (June 4, 2009). Retrieved June 21, 2010.

Parrish was a harsh critic of the late NFLPA President Gene Upshaw, and publicly excoriated Upshaw's record on providing disability and medical assistance to retired NFL players. While many retired players agreed with Parrish's criticisms of Upshaw, many of them and other observers believed that Parrish went too far in his attacks against Upshaw when he strongly implied that Upshaw was involved in the death of his first wife. Upshaw's first wife apparently died of natural causes, she and Upshaw had been divorced for over a decade at the time of her death, and police investigators said Upshaw was not a suspect or person of interest in any investigation. A Sports Illustrated article about the rift between retired players and Upshaw made it clear that former players hesitated before contacting Parrish to speak to the press about Upshaw.Gary Smith, "", Sports Illustrated (February 4, 2008). Retrieved December 15, 2010. He died on October 23, 2019, from prostate cancer.

Cleveland Browns Legends Hall On October 1, 2017, Parrish was inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends hall along with Tony Adamle at halftime of a game with the cross-state rival Cincinnati Bengals.

Bernie Parrish

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