蜜柚直播

Will Parks is a Philadelphia product, a Philadelphia advocate and, as of last month, a Philadelphia Eagle.

The former 蜜柚直播 Wildcats safety signed with his hometown team on March 21. It was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

But to fully appreciate the boldness of Parks鈥� free-agent move from Denver to Philadelphia, you have to understand what it was about 鈥� and what it wasn鈥檛.

Parks chose the Eagles for two primary reasons: team and community. Philadelphia has positioned itself to be a Super Bowl contender, and Parks has a chance to play a key role in a rebuilt secondary. He also has an enhanced opportunity to make a real difference in the city in which he was raised.

鈥淚t was about a lot,鈥� Parks said during a phone interview Thursday, fresh from a workout in Scottsdale.

It wasn鈥檛 about money. Parks could have signed elsewhere for more of it. He had offers from Detroit and Minnesota, according to reports.

He signed a one-year contract with the Eagles for a reported $1.6 million.

Parks鈥� agent, Erik Schmella, conceded that Parks left 鈥渜uite a bit鈥� of money on the negotiating table. But again, in his particular case, it wasn鈥檛 about that.

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 a little different,鈥� Schmella said. 鈥淎t the end of the day, it鈥檚 their life. They鈥檙e going to be living in the city, making the sacrifices, doing all the work.

鈥淚t鈥檚 never an easy decision, but I think with Will, he felt very confident in the opportunity and the situation in Philadelphia. It was easy to support him with that decision and get behind him.鈥�

Schmella respected Parks鈥� decision because he respects Parks.

He worked his way into this position, going from sixth-round draft pick in 2016 to part-time starter to sought-after free agent.

Schmella described Parks as 鈥済enuine, passionate and enthusiastic.鈥� He dubbed his client both a 鈥済ym rat鈥� and a 鈥済lue guy.鈥�

鈥淗e just has such a positive influence and energy on everybody around him,鈥� Schmella said.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a really good person. He just works so darn hard. He鈥檚 tough as nails.鈥�

Sometimes you embody where you came from. Sometimes you get to go back.

Making an impact

Parks, 25, grew up in North Philadelphia. He once told that Denver Post that while waiting at the bus stop near his high school, 鈥測ou didn鈥檛 know if you were going to get robbed, stabbed, killed or shot at in broad daylight.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e just seen a lot of things since I was a kid,鈥� Parks said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 get into too many of the details, but a lot of bad things go down over here.

鈥�(But) it鈥檚 not just those places. It鈥檚 all over Philadelphia.鈥�

Philadelphia averaged almost a homicide a day in 2019. Its total of 356 surpassed the previous year by three and represented the city鈥檚 highest figure since 2007.

One senseless death in particular left Parks devastated. In August 2018, Parks鈥� great-uncle, Barry, was shot and killed, the victim of a robbery attempt. Barry was 55 years old and the father of three daughters.

Parks joined forces with Philadelphia CeaseFire, whose mission, according to its website, is 鈥渢o reduce the level of violence, particularly shootings and homicides鈥� in select neighborhoods in the city. Parks represented CeaseFire during the NFL鈥檚 鈥淢y Cause My Cleats鈥� campaign in 2018. His footwear featured the Philadelphia skyline on one side, the words 鈥淪top the violence鈥� on the other.

Parks has spoken to students at Philadelphia schools and plans to engage even more when he鈥檚 there full time. He doesn鈥檛 want other families to have to go through what his has.

鈥淕un violence is deteriorating a lot of cities,鈥� Parks said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just trying to slow that process down and get people understanding, there鈥檚 always a different way out.

鈥淭hings in (Philadelphia) have been the way they are for the longest of times. I think the impact that we can make is just to minimize kids making bad decisions, whether it鈥檚 gun violence, whether it鈥檚 robbery, anything negative. That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e trying to stop.鈥�

Parks wants kids to know they have choices. He wants them to know they can make it out, like he did. To accentuate that idea, he decided to jump back in.

鈥淧hilly鈥檚 always been really important to him,鈥� Schmella said. 鈥淭he idea of making a difference in his community 鈥� you鈥檙e going to have an even stronger impact when you play for the Eagles.鈥�

Versatile, hungry

Like most NFL teams, the Eagles鈥� primary defensive scheme features five defensive backs. Coordinator Jim Schwartz has been known to deploy three safeties, although labeling Parks as merely a safety does him a disservice.

Parks played multiple spots during his time in Denver, including safety, nickel cornerback and dime linebacker. Parks鈥� position 鈥� which is to say, no defined position 鈥� has become increasingly popular in pro football.

鈥淎nything a coach asks me to do,鈥� Parks said, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 what I do.鈥�

Parks appeared in 62 games for the Broncos from 2016-19, making 15 starts. He compiled 149 tackles, four stops for losses, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

鈥淚 started my career around a good group of people,鈥� Parks said of his time in Denver. 鈥淭hey drafted me. They helped me change my life a little bit.

鈥淏ut I鈥檓 an Eagle now. I gotta prove to this team that I can help them in any way, shape or form. I gotta do my part.鈥�

Parks鈥� versatility, productivity and youth made him appealing to the Eagles, who have retooled their defense after a 9-7 season in which they were ravaged by injuries. The additions include cornerbacks Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman. The former was a first-team All-Pro in 2017.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not here for second place,鈥� Parks said. 鈥淎ll those guys in there are hungry. I鈥檓 hungry to make a name for myself. So when you got a group of guys like that in one room, you don鈥檛 know where it can take you.鈥�

Parks鈥� football journey unexpectedly took him to 蜜柚直播. He originally was committed to Pittsburgh before changing his mind in January 2012 after the departure of coach Todd Graham to ASU.

Parks developed into a starter and 蜜柚直播 fan favorite under Rich Rodriguez. Parks totaled a career-high 81 tackles, 13 TFLs and eight pass breakups for the 2014 Wildcats, who became the first and only UA squad to play in the Pac-12 championship game.

Asked about that team and his time here, Parks rattled off a long list of teammates, coaches and advisers who had an impact on him.

鈥淭hey all helped me grow,鈥� he said.

In 2016, Parks would become a pro. In 2020, he鈥檇 become Philly Will again. Not that he ever wasn鈥檛.