by Daniel S. Archuleta
Daily Lobo
Senior nose tackle Marcus Parker needs only one word to describe the kind of football player he is - tenacious.
Parker said that's the only way to play.
"That's how you have to play D-line," he said. "You have to play with intensity and be physical on every play."
Defensive linemen engage in battle with offensive linemen on every play of the game, and Parker said that is fine with him.
"Every play is like a street fight," he said. "You're throwing blows with linemen who are trying to keep you from getting somewhere."
He said at first this job was hard. But now it's a different story.
"It was pretty tough at first," he said. "It's more mental now. I feel I have the physical attributes to get it done, I just have to make sure my mind is right."
After achieving All-Mountain West Conference first-team honors last season, Parker was selected as a defensive team captain by his teammates this year.
"I was never one of those players that people picked to be a captain or the one to go out for the coin toss or to represent the team, so it means a lot to me," he said. "It shows that all the hard work that you put in is actually paying off."
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Parker said he is concerned with showing his teammates they made a wise choice.
"Being a captain, you have to come out and show that," he said. "You have to be a leader every day."
Parker had a career-high 60 tackles last year with 12 tackles for a loss, and he led All-MWC lineman with seven sacks. He also managed to cause one fumble and recover one.
Parker's ability to get to the ball and wreak havoc in the offensive backfield has also been recognized on the national level. He is on the 2005 Watch List for the Lombardi award, a list compiled of returning players who have achieved All-American or all-conference first-team honors.
Parker said winning this award is one of his goals for the season.
He also wants to see a zero in the loss column of the Lobos' record for the season.
"I think we should go undefeated, and get some BCS recognition," he said.
Going undefeated shouldn't be difficult if Parker's prediction about this year's defense rings true. He called the defense "the best that has ever been here, plain and simple."
Head coach Rocky Long thinks highly of his star nose tackle, and said Parker will improve even more this year.
"Marcus is an awful good football player," Long said. "He has been quite a good football player for quite a while down here. We're expecting bigger and better things out of him this year."
Marcus Parker stats
Height - 6 feet 2 inches
Weight - 269 pounds
Hometown -Garland, Texas
High school - Garland High School
Freshman stats - 13 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Sophomore stats - 25 tackles, 8 for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Junior stats - 60 tackles, 12 for loss, 7 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovered fumble
Awards - All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection junior season
