Murray State University Athletics
Parrott soars in the Racer defense
8/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
On Oct. 2, 2004, Derrick Parrott secured his first collegiate interception against Ohio Valley Conference champion Jacksonville State. This year, Racer head coach Joe Pannunzio hopes to see more of the same from Parrott, who enters the 2005 season as the No. 1 defensive back on a defense that returns only two starters from last season.
"Derrick is really having a good camp," Pannunzio said. "He is that one cornerback you've got to have, one you can put on the other team's best receiver and have the confidence that he will make the right plays."
Parrott, a sophomore from nearby Mayfield, Ky., came to Murray State from the University of Louisville, where he redshirted in 2003. Last season, Parrott worked mainly on special teams, where he had a team-high 18 tackles on the punt return team. Parrott also returned 12 kickoffs last season for 244 yards, both team-highs.
Coming from a powerhouse football program in Mayfield High School, Parrott shined as a running back and a defensive back, and he earned a spot on the first-team all-state team as a defensive back after helping lead Mayfield to the 2002 Class A state championship.
At Media Day last Monday, Pannunzio knew he was glad to have such a special talent manning his defense.
"We recruited the heck out of him out of high school," Pannunzio said, "but after a season at Louisville, he decided to come back closer to home, and we're very happy to have him here. Most cornerbacks, even the ones in the NFL, were great tailbacks in their high school careers, and were forced to change to cornerbacks. Derrick was the opposite. He wanted to stay on defense and do whatever he needed to do to help the team win."
CAMP NOTES: This morning, the Racers worked mainly on hard-hitting techniques before the sun came out, and the afternoon practice was used to get the Racers' legs back in preparation for the first big scrimmage tomorrow at 3:15, where the offense will run 70 plays. Said Pannunzio, "The heat tomorrow at 3:15 should simulate the heat at 6:00 on Sept. 3, our first game against Mississippi State."
INJURY REPORT: Six Racers sat out practice today, but none of the injuries are expected to be serious. Kicker Morgan Riley and tight end Ben Rush both sat out with an illness, linebacker Sederick Eichelberger sat out due to dehydration, defensive end Danny Blakemore was held out from contact due to a mild head injury, and wide receiver Lee McGinnis and defensive back Chris Fountain both sat out today with mild ankle sprains.
Pannunzio has been very impressed with his team's stamina so far in the practice season. Said Pannunzio, "Normally, we hit a wall at about this time of practice, but our guys have worked right through it."
SHOWING THE COLORS: Today marked the first time the team had practiced at Roy Stewart Stadium, and the turf's new paint job was very noticeable. Along with the new paint job, two new logos are located on the turf: a Murray State University logo that stretches from the 20-yard line to the 30-yard line on the north end of the field, and an Ohio Valley Conference logo that stretches from the 30-yard line to the 20-yard line on the south end of the field.
DINNER TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE: Tickets are still available for the Racer Football Kickoff Dinner fundrasier on Friday, Aug. 26, at 6 p.m. at the Murray Country Club. The cost of the event is $100 per ticket, which includes dinner for two, dancing, live entertainment for everyone, several prizes and a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize, to be won that evening. Reservations can be made by calling the MSU Ticket Office at (270) 762-4895. The ticket office accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover.
