Buddy Parker
Player
- Detroit Lions (1935, 1936)
- Chicago Cardinals (1937-1943)
Assistant coach
- Chicago Cardinals (1944-1948)
Coach
- Chicago Cardinals (1949 )
- Detroit Lions (1950-1956)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1957-1964)
Player
Assistant coach
Coach
- 2 × NFL Champion (1952, 1953)
- NFL Coach of the Year Award ( 1956)
Raymond Klein "Buddy" Parker (born 16 December 1913 in Slaton, Lubbock County, Texas, † March 22, 1982 in Kaufman, Texas) was an US- American football player and coach. He played as a blocking back and fullback in the National Football League ( NFL). Both as a player and as a coach, he celebrated his greatest successes with the Detroit Lions.
Playing career
Raymond Parker grew up in Kemp and studied from 1932 to 1934 at the Centenary College of Louisiana. He played both on offense and on defense of the local college football team. After graduating, Parker joined as a professional football player the Detroit Lions. The Lions were coached by Potsy Clark and the team had a number of top players such as Dutch Clark and George Christensen under contract. Parker played for the team primarily as a blocking back and fullback, but received operating time in the Defense of the team as a linebacker. In the 1935 season he was able to move with the Lions in the NFL championship final. Opponents were the New York Giants, who were defeated 26-7. After the 1936 season, Parker moved to the Chicago Cardinals. Success as a player, he did not celebrate with the Cardinals.
Coaching career
Immediately after his playing career Parker was an assistant coach with the Cardinals. In 1946, Jimmy Conzelman took over as coach in the team from Chicago. Conzelman could win in the 1947 season with his team nine out of twelve games and move into the NFL championship game. Opponents in the final were the Greasy Neale of trained Philadelphia Eagles that could be defeated by 27:21. After Conzelman had resigned as coach after the season 1948, in which the Lions had failed in the NFL playoff 7-0 to the Eagles, Parker and Phil Handler were appointed to head coaches of the team. Both assisted in the 1949 season, the first six matches together the team from Detroit, before Parker took over the office alone.
In 1950, Parker moved to the Detroit Lions, where he was first an assistant coach before he took over the post of head coaches before the season 1951. Before the Game Round 1950, the Lions committed by the New York Bulldogs with Bobby Layne a promising young quarterback, which should lead under the leadership of Raymond Parker and other top players like Lou Creekmur, Jack Christiansen or Doak Walker the Lions to the top of the NFL.
1952 won the Lions nine of twelve games and were able to move into the play- offs. After a 31:21 victory over the Los Angeles Rams of the draw took place in the NFL playoff. Opponents in the final were those of Paul Brown assisted Cleveland Browns, who have established themselves as the top team in the NFL years ago. Although the offense the Browns could achieve 384 Yards space gain in the entire game and thus the Lions clearly surpassed 258 yards, they had the upper hand and won by 17:7. It should not be the only playoff defeat of the Browns against the Lions. The following year, both teams were in the final again and again over the care of Parker team prevailed and won with 17:16. In 1954, the Browns had the opportunity again to take revenge for the two final defeats. This time they went win the game. They won the final with 56:10 against the Lions.
Buddy Parker was able to after the season 1956 with the Lions not agree on a contract extension and changed shortly before the start of the new season to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team put together by him of the Lions was built in 1957 for the third time in six years NFL champions. Although Raymond Parker in 1958 managed to get Layne to Pittsburgh, he could celebrate with his new team no more success. After the 1964 season, Parker ended his coaching career.
Honors
Buddy Parker was elected in 1956 to the NFL Coach of the Year. His hometown Kemp named a street after him.