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Jersey Number 31
Justus Parker
- Position:
- Defensive Back
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 205
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- La Vernia, Texas
- High School:
- La Vernia
2018 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Regular in the rotation in the secondary again as a junior โฆ appeared in all 12 games with five spots from his nickelback spot โฆ totaled 18 tackles (15 solo) to go along with a sack, forced fumble, two quarterback hurries and five pass breakups โฆ ended the year tied for third on the team in pass breakups โฆ recorded two more tackles in six games โฆ SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began his year with two tackles against Ole Miss (9/1) in Houston โฆ had a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup in a blowout win over Lamar (9/8) โฆ had a season-high four tackles in the non-conference finale versus Houston (9/15) โฆ recorded three tackles and forced a fumble in the Thursday night road win at TCU (10/11) โฆ tallied two tackles in back-to-back games against Kansas (10/20) and at Iowa State (10/27) โฆ performance versus the Cyclones included his first career sack as well as two pass breakups โฆ notched three tackles and a pass breakup against Oklahoma (11/3) โฆ limited to only one tackle over final three games of the season โฆ earned the start in the final two games versus Kansas State and (11/17) and Baylor (11/24) โฆ AWARDS AND HONORS: preseason All-Big 12 selection.ย ย
2017 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Turned in one of the most impressive debut seasons by a Red Raider in recent memory โฆ became known as a ball-hawk that drastically impacted Texas Techโs ability to force turnovers โฆ appeared in all 13 games on the year while making seven starts at nickel back โฆย totaled 42 tackles on the year (34 solo), all but three of which came in the final eight games of the year โฆ averaged nearly five tackles per game during that stretch โฆ had 2.5 tackles for a loss which resulted in 24 yards โฆ led the Red Raiders with four forced fumbles as well as four interceptions โฆ his four forced fumbles marked the most by a Red Raider since Dartwan Bush had the same total in 2011 โฆ one of just four Red Raiders to record four or more forced fumbles since the start of the 2000 season, joining the likes of Dwayne Slay (2005), Brandon Williams (2008) and Bush โฆ his four interceptions, meanwhile, were the most by a Red Raider since J.J. Gaines had the same total in 2015 โฆ recovered one fumble as well to go along with three quarterback hurries and four pass breakups โฆ contributed two tackles on special teams โฆ found his way into the backfield several times with three quarterback hurries on the year to go along with four pass breakups in coverage โฆ IN NCAA RANKINGS: ended the year ranked 20th nationally in forced fumbles per game (0.31), 29th in total interceptions and 43rd in interceptions per game (0.3) โฆ was the only player from a power-five conference to rank among the top 30 nationally in both forced fumbles per game and total interceptions โฆ one of four players in the entire FBS to do so, joining Jawuan Johnson (Northern Illinois), Shamad Lomex (New Mexico State) and Jordan Wyatt (SMU) โฆ IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: led the conference with four forced fumbles and forced fumbles per game โฆ ranked second in total interceptions and tied for third in interceptions per game โฆ was also tied for 17th in passes defended per game (0.62) โฆ shared the conference high with four interceptions during league play โฆ his four forced fumbles all came during conference action which led all players โฆ finished tied for 12th in passes defended per game during Big 12 play (0.78) โฆ SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:ย made one tackle in his first career appearance in the season opener against Eastern Washington (9/2) โฆ followed with a pass breakup two weeks later against Arizona State (9/16) โฆ closed non-conference play with a tackle and quarterback hurry in win at Houston (9/23) โฆ broke into the spotlight with a forced fumble, fumble recovery and interception in the rout of Kansas (10/7) โฆ stripped Kansas receiver Chass Harrell on a completed pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter โฆ marked Texas Techโs third defensive touchdown of the season and the first of his career โฆ added his first career interception later in the game off a deflected pass from Eli Howard โฆ ย also posted a pass breakup and a tackle versus the Jayhawks โฆ earned his first career start a week later at West Virginia (10/14) โฆ set a then career high with six tackles against the Mountaineers โฆ matched that total against Iowa State (10/21), while adding a career-high two pass breakups โฆ picked off his second pass of the season on Iowa Stateโs first possession, returning it 34 yards to the 7 yard line โฆ interception set up a Red Raider touchdown by Desmond Nisby โฆ came close to matching career high in tackles against at Oklahoma (10/28) before settling for five โฆ recorded his third interception of the season against the Sooners to go along with a quarterback hurry, tackle for a loss and a forced fumble โฆ notched six tackles again against Kansas State (11/4) after starting at safety in place of JahโShawn Johnson โฆ was his only start of the year at safety and not at nickel back โฆ had four tackles and a quarterback hurry in the victory over Baylor (11/11) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington โฆ snapped his career high with seven tackles and two forced fumbles against TCU (11/18) โฆ saw one of his forced fumbles recovered by Vaughnte Dorsey midway through the third quarter โฆ became first Red Raider to force two or more fumbles in a game since D.J. Johnson did so against Baylor in 2011 โฆ joined Texas Tech lore for his play late in the came-from-behind victory over Texas (11/24) โฆ snuck in front of a third down Sam Ehlinger pass over the middle, returning it 55 yards to the Texas 10 yard line with less than two minutes remaining โฆ interception set up a 16-yard touchdown strike from Nic Shimonek to Cameron Batson to give the Red Raiders a 27-23 win โฆ posted five tackles to go along with the interception against the Longhorns โฆ final start of the year came in the Birmingham Bowl against USF โฆ AWARDS AND HONORS:ย named to the All-Big 12 second team by the conference coaches โฆ SCHOLARSHIP RECOGNITION:ย presented with a scholarship by Coach Kingsbury in the weeks leading up to the Birmingham Bowl โฆ scholarship was part of a surprise video featuring Texas Tech standout Danny Amendola and his teammate Rob Gronkowskiย of the New England Patriots โฆ video of his scholarship presentation went viral online with millions of views over a short 48-hour period โฆ his story was featured on the likes of ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBS and The Today Show.
ย
2016 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Redshirt season ... sat out due to NCAA transfer policies ... key member of the scout team.ย
2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT TEXAS LUTHERAN)
Saw action in 10 games as a true freshman โฆ ended the year with 48 tackles (36 solo), including four for a loss โฆ ranked sixth on the team for tackles โฆ had one sack as well as a fumble recovery and forced fumble โฆ picked off a pair of passes, both of which that came in season opener at Sul Ross State (9/5) โฆ recovered his first collegiate fumble versus Southwestern Assemblies of God (9/26) โฆ also had a season-high 11 tackles in the game as well โฆ forced his first career fumble a few weeks later at Trinity University (10/31) โฆ garnered first team All-SCAC honors (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) ... one of two conference freshmen to be named to the defensive first team.ย
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended La Vernia High School in La Vernia, Texas ... played both sides of the both during his prep career ... helped lead La Vernia to a 12-2 record and spot in the Class 4A playoffs his junior year and then a 10-2 campaign as a senior ... presented with walk-on opportunities by UTSA, Abilene Christian and Montana State out of high school ... instead chose to attend Division III Texas Lutheran on a presidential academic scholarship.ย
PERSONAL
Justus Parker ... born in San Antonio, Texas ... son of Jess and Shaleen Parker ... youngest of three brothers ... two other siblings are Jace and Jamison ... a public relations major at Texas Tech.ย
CAREER HIGHS
Touchdowns: 1, at Kansas (2017)
Tackles: 7, vs. TCU (2017)
Tackles For Loss: 1.5, vs. TCU (2017)
Sacks: 1.0, at Iowa State (2018)
Interceptions: 1, 4x, at Texas (2017)*
Fumbles Forced: 2, vs. TCU (2017)
Fumbles Recovered: 1, at Kansas (2017)
Quarterback Hurries: 1, 3x, at Iowa State (2018)*
Pass Breakups: 2, twice, at Iowa State (2018)*
* Indicates most recent high
Regular in the rotation in the secondary again as a junior โฆ appeared in all 12 games with five spots from his nickelback spot โฆ totaled 18 tackles (15 solo) to go along with a sack, forced fumble, two quarterback hurries and five pass breakups โฆ ended the year tied for third on the team in pass breakups โฆ recorded two more tackles in six games โฆ SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began his year with two tackles against Ole Miss (9/1) in Houston โฆ had a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup in a blowout win over Lamar (9/8) โฆ had a season-high four tackles in the non-conference finale versus Houston (9/15) โฆ recorded three tackles and forced a fumble in the Thursday night road win at TCU (10/11) โฆ tallied two tackles in back-to-back games against Kansas (10/20) and at Iowa State (10/27) โฆ performance versus the Cyclones included his first career sack as well as two pass breakups โฆ notched three tackles and a pass breakup against Oklahoma (11/3) โฆ limited to only one tackle over final three games of the season โฆ earned the start in the final two games versus Kansas State and (11/17) and Baylor (11/24) โฆ AWARDS AND HONORS: preseason All-Big 12 selection.ย ย
2017 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Turned in one of the most impressive debut seasons by a Red Raider in recent memory โฆ became known as a ball-hawk that drastically impacted Texas Techโs ability to force turnovers โฆ appeared in all 13 games on the year while making seven starts at nickel back โฆย totaled 42 tackles on the year (34 solo), all but three of which came in the final eight games of the year โฆ averaged nearly five tackles per game during that stretch โฆ had 2.5 tackles for a loss which resulted in 24 yards โฆ led the Red Raiders with four forced fumbles as well as four interceptions โฆ his four forced fumbles marked the most by a Red Raider since Dartwan Bush had the same total in 2011 โฆ one of just four Red Raiders to record four or more forced fumbles since the start of the 2000 season, joining the likes of Dwayne Slay (2005), Brandon Williams (2008) and Bush โฆ his four interceptions, meanwhile, were the most by a Red Raider since J.J. Gaines had the same total in 2015 โฆ recovered one fumble as well to go along with three quarterback hurries and four pass breakups โฆ contributed two tackles on special teams โฆ found his way into the backfield several times with three quarterback hurries on the year to go along with four pass breakups in coverage โฆ IN NCAA RANKINGS: ended the year ranked 20th nationally in forced fumbles per game (0.31), 29th in total interceptions and 43rd in interceptions per game (0.3) โฆ was the only player from a power-five conference to rank among the top 30 nationally in both forced fumbles per game and total interceptions โฆ one of four players in the entire FBS to do so, joining Jawuan Johnson (Northern Illinois), Shamad Lomex (New Mexico State) and Jordan Wyatt (SMU) โฆ IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: led the conference with four forced fumbles and forced fumbles per game โฆ ranked second in total interceptions and tied for third in interceptions per game โฆ was also tied for 17th in passes defended per game (0.62) โฆ shared the conference high with four interceptions during league play โฆ his four forced fumbles all came during conference action which led all players โฆ finished tied for 12th in passes defended per game during Big 12 play (0.78) โฆ SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:ย made one tackle in his first career appearance in the season opener against Eastern Washington (9/2) โฆ followed with a pass breakup two weeks later against Arizona State (9/16) โฆ closed non-conference play with a tackle and quarterback hurry in win at Houston (9/23) โฆ broke into the spotlight with a forced fumble, fumble recovery and interception in the rout of Kansas (10/7) โฆ stripped Kansas receiver Chass Harrell on a completed pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter โฆ marked Texas Techโs third defensive touchdown of the season and the first of his career โฆ added his first career interception later in the game off a deflected pass from Eli Howard โฆ ย also posted a pass breakup and a tackle versus the Jayhawks โฆ earned his first career start a week later at West Virginia (10/14) โฆ set a then career high with six tackles against the Mountaineers โฆ matched that total against Iowa State (10/21), while adding a career-high two pass breakups โฆ picked off his second pass of the season on Iowa Stateโs first possession, returning it 34 yards to the 7 yard line โฆ interception set up a Red Raider touchdown by Desmond Nisby โฆ came close to matching career high in tackles against at Oklahoma (10/28) before settling for five โฆ recorded his third interception of the season against the Sooners to go along with a quarterback hurry, tackle for a loss and a forced fumble โฆ notched six tackles again against Kansas State (11/4) after starting at safety in place of JahโShawn Johnson โฆ was his only start of the year at safety and not at nickel back โฆ had four tackles and a quarterback hurry in the victory over Baylor (11/11) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington โฆ snapped his career high with seven tackles and two forced fumbles against TCU (11/18) โฆ saw one of his forced fumbles recovered by Vaughnte Dorsey midway through the third quarter โฆ became first Red Raider to force two or more fumbles in a game since D.J. Johnson did so against Baylor in 2011 โฆ joined Texas Tech lore for his play late in the came-from-behind victory over Texas (11/24) โฆ snuck in front of a third down Sam Ehlinger pass over the middle, returning it 55 yards to the Texas 10 yard line with less than two minutes remaining โฆ interception set up a 16-yard touchdown strike from Nic Shimonek to Cameron Batson to give the Red Raiders a 27-23 win โฆ posted five tackles to go along with the interception against the Longhorns โฆ final start of the year came in the Birmingham Bowl against USF โฆ AWARDS AND HONORS:ย named to the All-Big 12 second team by the conference coaches โฆ SCHOLARSHIP RECOGNITION:ย presented with a scholarship by Coach Kingsbury in the weeks leading up to the Birmingham Bowl โฆ scholarship was part of a surprise video featuring Texas Tech standout Danny Amendola and his teammate Rob Gronkowskiย of the New England Patriots โฆ video of his scholarship presentation went viral online with millions of views over a short 48-hour period โฆ his story was featured on the likes of ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBS and The Today Show.
ย
HUGE thanks to @DannyAmendola and @RobGronkowski for having a special part in making a dream come true for @justus_parker. #chills #PatriotWay #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/qJJZwdeeEW
โ Kliff Kingsbury (@TTUKingsbury) December 18, 2017
2016 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Redshirt season ... sat out due to NCAA transfer policies ... key member of the scout team.ย
2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT TEXAS LUTHERAN)
Saw action in 10 games as a true freshman โฆ ended the year with 48 tackles (36 solo), including four for a loss โฆ ranked sixth on the team for tackles โฆ had one sack as well as a fumble recovery and forced fumble โฆ picked off a pair of passes, both of which that came in season opener at Sul Ross State (9/5) โฆ recovered his first collegiate fumble versus Southwestern Assemblies of God (9/26) โฆ also had a season-high 11 tackles in the game as well โฆ forced his first career fumble a few weeks later at Trinity University (10/31) โฆ garnered first team All-SCAC honors (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) ... one of two conference freshmen to be named to the defensive first team.ย
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended La Vernia High School in La Vernia, Texas ... played both sides of the both during his prep career ... helped lead La Vernia to a 12-2 record and spot in the Class 4A playoffs his junior year and then a 10-2 campaign as a senior ... presented with walk-on opportunities by UTSA, Abilene Christian and Montana State out of high school ... instead chose to attend Division III Texas Lutheran on a presidential academic scholarship.ย
PERSONAL
Justus Parker ... born in San Antonio, Texas ... son of Jess and Shaleen Parker ... youngest of three brothers ... two other siblings are Jace and Jamison ... a public relations major at Texas Tech.ย
CAREER HIGHS
Touchdowns: 1, at Kansas (2017)
Tackles: 7, vs. TCU (2017)
Tackles For Loss: 1.5, vs. TCU (2017)
Sacks: 1.0, at Iowa State (2018)
Interceptions: 1, 4x, at Texas (2017)*
Fumbles Forced: 2, vs. TCU (2017)
Fumbles Recovered: 1, at Kansas (2017)
Quarterback Hurries: 1, 3x, at Iowa State (2018)*
Pass Breakups: 2, twice, at Iowa State (2018)*
* Indicates most recent high
Tuesday, September 15
Tuesday, September 15
Tuesday, September 15
Tuesday, September 15
