Parker poses as part of the five former Dark Horses that went on to be NFL players gathered at Clinton High School in 2015 to deliver golden footballs on behalf of the NFL and induct CHS into the Super Bowl Honor Roll. From left: Ronny Dixon, Leonard Henry, Willie Parker, Dennis Owens, and Jerris McPhail.
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Willie Parker, through his philanthropic foundation — 39 Legends Foundation — gave away backpacks to Butler Avenue Elementary this year. Pictured with him are school counselor Sara Lee, left, and principal Dr. Angela Harding, right.
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Never forgetting his hometown roots, Willie Parker gave away over 600 turkeys during the holidays in 2020.
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Ninety-four miles separate Clinton High School and UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus. Acrisure Stadium (formerly known as Heinz Field) in Pittsburgh, Pa. is 538 miles from the home of the Dark Horses. Clinton’s “Fast” Willie Parker took his talents on the football field to both of those places to continue life on the gridiron, and his professional career was so illustrious that he is set to be enshrined in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall of Honor this Sunday.
Parker, who helped the Dark Horse football team continue their dominance in the late-90s, will join three other past members of Pittsburgh’s famed football team as part of the ceremony before the team hosts their divisional-rival Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon. Fellow 2024 Hall of Honor classmates include linebacker Jason Gildon, nose tackle Casey Hampton, and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.
Willie wore No. 39 in his six seasons for the black-and-gold, which he joined as an undrafted free agent in 2004 after playing for the Tar Heels. Dan Rooney, Jr., grandson of Pittsburgh’s founder, Art Rooney, had served as a scout for the team, and it was he who helped Parker find his way to the Steel City.
“One of the first teams to come up to me was the Steelers and their scouts. Dan Rooney’s eyes were lit up. He was like, ‘We are going to bring you in. We are going to draft you or bring you in some way,’” Parker shared with the Steelers previously, according to an article on Steelers.com.
But, it wasn’t necessarily Rooney, Jr. that scouted him, even though that’s what his job was, said Willie in that same article.
“His wife, Allison, is from my hometown and followed me throughout my career. He ended up coming to a game at my high school. She knew what type of player I was. I really think that had something to do with it. It was a perfect story.”
The former Dark Horse has one of the most famous plays in NFL history, one that has been written in the record books for years now.
In Super Bowl XL (40), the Steelers started the second half trailing to the Seattle Seahawks 7-3. Just the second play of the half, and the drive, resulted in Parker breaking through the line and scoring the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history, carrying the ball for 75 yards into the end zone.
The team hosted a dinner in honor of the inductees on Saturday, Dec. 7, where the ceremony officially inducting Parker and his classmates took place. An on-field ceremony is set to be held Sunday as well, in front of the larger crowd for their home rivalry game.
Reach Brandt Young at (910) 247-9036, at byoung@clintonnc.com, or on the Sampson Independent Facebook page.