Jacksonville Jaguars seventh-round pick Derek Parish isn’t your standard NFL prospect. The 6’2, 241-pound player was a defensive end for the Houston Cougars, but will make a transition to fullback in the NFL.
That makes sense, in part, because of 29-inch arms that could make rushing the passer awfully difficult in the NFL. But also because of this story from the Houston Chronicle that absolutely screams fullback:
Before preseason camp began in early August, Parish had one final belt-busting meal. At a team event featuring the biggest appetites on the team, Parish “won” the competition between offensive and defensive linemen for consuming the most steak, devouring a remarkable, if not stomach-churning, seven pounds. That’s 112 ounces of meat. Rare, just like Parish prefers.
“I was literally taking 2-ounce cuts and swallowing it like a pill,” Parish said. “I showed up hungry.”
Apparently, the Jaguars drafted Barney Rubble with their last pick Saturday.
Last August, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic put Parish on his list of the biggest “freaks” in college football due to his athleticism, strength, and neck circumference.
The 6-2, 245-pound Parish, who has a 21-inch neck, is a beast in the weight room, power-cleaning 426 pounds and back-squatting 674. He benches 425 pounds for three reps but also runs a 4.58 40 and has hit 21 mph on the GPS.
How Parish’s 21-inch neck compares to legendary NFL neck-havers like Takeo Spikes and Paul Posluszny is hard to say, as there aren’t exactly neck measurements listed on the roster. But Jacksonville clearly has a pretty unique player in Parish.
