Kansas State University Athletics
2019 Football
Parker, AJ
Jersey Number 12
AJ Parker
- Position:
- Defensive Back
- Height:
- 5-11
- Weight:
- 178
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Bartlesville, Okla.
- High School:
- Bartlesville
Bio
CAREER HONORS
• 2020 Thorpe Award Player of the Week TCU)
• 2020 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week TCU)
• 2019 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
CAREER: A career 33-game starter at defensive back who played both nickelback and cornerback throughout his career.
2020: Started nine games during the season, finishing sixth on the team in tackles... Had a 37-yard interception return touchdown to help K-State earn a seven-point win at TCU... Earned Thorpe Award Player of the Week and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following his performance against the Horned Frogs, which also included five tackles... Set a career high with 2.0 tackles for loss at Baylor.
2019: Started the first eight games of the year until an injury cut his season short... Finished with 28 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and five pass breakups en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches... Was tied for second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in interceptions prior to his injury... Registered his first pick of the season on K-State’s first defensive play of the year against Nicholls... Also had interceptions in wins at Mississippi State and against No. 5 Oklahoma... Carded a season-high eight tackles against Baylor and also had six against Baylor, tallying TFLs in both contests.
2018: Started all 12 games at cornerback, finishing fourth on the team with 53 tackles to go along with a tackle for loss, two interceptions and six pass breakups... His two picks came in Big 12 play – at West Virginia and against Texas Tech – to tie for seventh in the league in conference-only games... Tallied a career-high nine tackles at Baylor and had seven against both UTSA and Kansas... Tied a career high with two pass breakups in the first two games of the year against South Dakota and Mississippi State... Also blocked a punt against Texas.
2017: Saw time in 11 games with two starts at cornerback and two starts at nickelback... Registered 24 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups on the year... Carded a season-high eight tackles against TCU, while he had five stops and a TFL in K-State’s win at No. 10 Oklahoma State... Batted away a season-best two passes against Charlotte.
2016: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: A three-year starter at Bartlesville under head coach John McKee... Named to the USA TODAY Sports/American Family Insurance All-USA Oklahoma team as a defensive back following his senior campaign in addition to earning all-state honors from The Oklahoman, Tulsa World and Oklahoma Coaches Association... Also picked up honorable mention all-state accolades as a junior in 2014... Helped lead the Bruins to a 10-2 record and a trip to the semifinals of the Oklahoma Class 6A-II state playoffs in 2015... Played wide receiver on offense as he hauled in 65 passes for 1,253 yards and 17 touchdowns over his junior and senior seasons... Selected to play in the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State football game... Also a three-year starter in basketball, earning all-area honors, and participated in track and field, placing third in the state meet in the high jump as a sophomore and junior.
PERSONAL: Arlando Dwayne Parker, Jr., was born February 15, 1998, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma... Son of Arlando and Teresa Parker... Has one sister, Trinity... Majoring in kinesiology.
• 2020 Thorpe Award Player of the Week TCU)
• 2020 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week TCU)
• 2019 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
CAREER: A career 33-game starter at defensive back who played both nickelback and cornerback throughout his career.
2020: Started nine games during the season, finishing sixth on the team in tackles... Had a 37-yard interception return touchdown to help K-State earn a seven-point win at TCU... Earned Thorpe Award Player of the Week and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following his performance against the Horned Frogs, which also included five tackles... Set a career high with 2.0 tackles for loss at Baylor.
2019: Started the first eight games of the year until an injury cut his season short... Finished with 28 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and five pass breakups en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches... Was tied for second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in interceptions prior to his injury... Registered his first pick of the season on K-State’s first defensive play of the year against Nicholls... Also had interceptions in wins at Mississippi State and against No. 5 Oklahoma... Carded a season-high eight tackles against Baylor and also had six against Baylor, tallying TFLs in both contests.
2018: Started all 12 games at cornerback, finishing fourth on the team with 53 tackles to go along with a tackle for loss, two interceptions and six pass breakups... His two picks came in Big 12 play – at West Virginia and against Texas Tech – to tie for seventh in the league in conference-only games... Tallied a career-high nine tackles at Baylor and had seven against both UTSA and Kansas... Tied a career high with two pass breakups in the first two games of the year against South Dakota and Mississippi State... Also blocked a punt against Texas.
2017: Saw time in 11 games with two starts at cornerback and two starts at nickelback... Registered 24 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups on the year... Carded a season-high eight tackles against TCU, while he had five stops and a TFL in K-State’s win at No. 10 Oklahoma State... Batted away a season-best two passes against Charlotte.
2016: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: A three-year starter at Bartlesville under head coach John McKee... Named to the USA TODAY Sports/American Family Insurance All-USA Oklahoma team as a defensive back following his senior campaign in addition to earning all-state honors from The Oklahoman, Tulsa World and Oklahoma Coaches Association... Also picked up honorable mention all-state accolades as a junior in 2014... Helped lead the Bruins to a 10-2 record and a trip to the semifinals of the Oklahoma Class 6A-II state playoffs in 2015... Played wide receiver on offense as he hauled in 65 passes for 1,253 yards and 17 touchdowns over his junior and senior seasons... Selected to play in the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State football game... Also a three-year starter in basketball, earning all-area honors, and participated in track and field, placing third in the state meet in the high jump as a sophomore and junior.
PERSONAL: Arlando Dwayne Parker, Jr., was born February 15, 1998, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma... Son of Arlando and Teresa Parker... Has one sister, Trinity... Majoring in kinesiology.
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