Eugene E. Parker
Encyclopedia
Eugene Parker, born February 24, 1956 in Fort Wayne, Indiana
, is the sports agent of Deion Sanders
, Emmitt Smith
, and many other NFL athletes. He has been named by Black Enterprise Magazines top 50 influential blacks in sports while also being known for the past two decades as owning one of the premier sports agencies in the country. Parker was also ranked 45 in the Sports Illustrated
list of the top 101 most influential minorities in sports.
in 1982.. In his early years, after receiving his law degree, Parker trained his former NFL client Roosevelt Barnes
to be his long-time partner in the agent business and groomed another agent Craig McKenzie a fellow graduate of Valparaiso University School of Law
. Parker, at his company Maximum Sports Management, now oversees 5 agents in his current practice.
When Parker was an undergrad student at Purdue University
he studied Business Management. He was also a four-year starter on the Purdue men’s basketball team where he scored 1,430 career points. He was a team captain for two years where he earned all big ten awards, and most valuable player awards. After his college career, Parker was drafted in the late rounds of the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs
. He turned down the NBA ranks to take a graduate assist coaching job at Valparaiso University
while he earned a law degree. Parker then went on to found his company, Maximum Sports Management. His early signings included NFL All-Pro defensive players Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders. In 1995, Parker negotiated Deion Sanders' lucrative seven year, 35 million dollar contract, with a 13 million dollar signing bonus, which made Sanders the highest paid defensive player in the NFL at that time..
In 2004 he negotiated a six year deal worth $60 million for wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald
, making Larry the highest paid rookie in the NFL ever.
Many of Parker's rookie clients have been holdouts in the NFL. Most recently, the 2nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Ndamukong Suh held out for 4 days before signing a 5 year deal worth a possible $68 Million with $40 Million guaranteed. Holdouts are nothing new, but this holdout was under more scrutiny due to the nature of the high pick. The prior season in 2009, San Francisco WR, Michael Crabtree, also held out for a third of his rookie season. Parker contended that Crabtree deserved more money than where he ended up being drafted. On August 6, 2011 Parker became one of only four sports agents to ever present a player into the National Football Hall of Fame when he presenting his long time client and friend Deion Sanders
into the 2011 NFL Hall of Fame.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, is the sports agent of Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
, Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
, and many other NFL athletes. He has been named by Black Enterprise Magazines top 50 influential blacks in sports while also being known for the past two decades as owning one of the premier sports agencies in the country. Parker was also ranked 45 in the Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
list of the top 101 most influential minorities in sports.
Biography
Parker graduated from Purdue University in 1978, and graduated from Valparaiso University School of LawValparaiso University School of Law
The Valparaiso University School of Law is located on the campus of Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, a community located less than an hour from Chicago...
in 1982.. In his early years, after receiving his law degree, Parker trained his former NFL client Roosevelt Barnes
Roosevelt Barnes (American football)
Roosevelt Barnes, Jr. is a former American football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue University. After retiring from professional football, in 1987 Barnes became a partner and contract advisor with Maximum Sports Management...
to be his long-time partner in the agent business and groomed another agent Craig McKenzie a fellow graduate of Valparaiso University School of Law
Valparaiso University School of Law
The Valparaiso University School of Law is located on the campus of Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, a community located less than an hour from Chicago...
. Parker, at his company Maximum Sports Management, now oversees 5 agents in his current practice.
When Parker was an undergrad student at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
he studied Business Management. He was also a four-year starter on the Purdue men’s basketball team where he scored 1,430 career points. He was a team captain for two years where he earned all big ten awards, and most valuable player awards. After his college career, Parker was drafted in the late rounds of the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. He turned down the NBA ranks to take a graduate assist coaching job at Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
while he earned a law degree. Parker then went on to found his company, Maximum Sports Management. His early signings included NFL All-Pro defensive players Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders. In 1995, Parker negotiated Deion Sanders' lucrative seven year, 35 million dollar contract, with a 13 million dollar signing bonus, which made Sanders the highest paid defensive player in the NFL at that time..
In 2004 he negotiated a six year deal worth $60 million for wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
, making Larry the highest paid rookie in the NFL ever.
Many of Parker's rookie clients have been holdouts in the NFL. Most recently, the 2nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Ndamukong Suh held out for 4 days before signing a 5 year deal worth a possible $68 Million with $40 Million guaranteed. Holdouts are nothing new, but this holdout was under more scrutiny due to the nature of the high pick. The prior season in 2009, San Francisco WR, Michael Crabtree, also held out for a third of his rookie season. Parker contended that Crabtree deserved more money than where he ended up being drafted. On August 6, 2011 Parker became one of only four sports agents to ever present a player into the National Football Hall of Fame when he presenting his long time client and friend Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
into the 2011 NFL Hall of Fame.
Clients
Some of Parker's clients include:- Hines WardHines WardHines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
(Super Bowl XL MVP and four-time Pro Bowler) - Richard SeymourRichard SeymourRichard Vershaun Seymour is an American football defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
(4 time All Pro) - Walter Jones (5 time All Pro)
- Emmitt SmithEmmitt SmithEmmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
(NFL all time leading rusher) - Larry FitzgeraldLarry FitzgeraldLarry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
(All Pro) - Derrick BrooksDerrick BrooksDerrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
(9 time All Pro) - Rod WoodsonRod WoodsonRoderick Kevin "Rod" Woodson is the current cornerbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He is also a former defensive back best known for his 10-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as being a key member of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XXXV championship...
(11 time All Pro) - Aeneas WilliamsAeneas WilliamsAeneas Demetrius Williams is a former American football cornerback and free safety, who played with the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams. Williams attended Fortier High School, where he played football on a team with three future NFL players. Although he was admitted to Dartmouth College,...
(8 time All Pro) - Devin HesterDevin HesterDevin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play in all three phases of American football...
(NFL record holder, All Pro) - Cedric BensonCedric BensonCedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
(Super Bowl running back) - Curtis MartinCurtis MartinCurtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
(5 time All Pro) - Laveranues ColesLaveranues ColesLaveranues Leon Coles is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University....
(All Pro receiver) - Jason PetersJason Peters-Buffalo Bills:Peters was picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted rookie free agent in April 2004. He was cut then re-signed to the Bills' practice squad. He was signed to the active roster on November 12, 2004...
(All Pro left tackle) - Greg JenningsGreg JenningsGregory Jennings, Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
(Green Bay Packers, 2006 2nd Round Draft Pick) - Felix JonesFelix JonesFelix Jones is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. After playing college football and majoring in kinesiology at the University of Arkansas, he was drafted by the Cowboys 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft...
(Cowboys 2008 1st Round Draft Pick] - Tashard ChoiceTashard ChoiceTashard J. Choice , is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Georgia Tech. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.Choice began his collegiate career at The University of Oklahoma but...
(Cowboys 2008 4th Round Draft Pick) - Steven JacksonSteven JacksonSteven Rashad Jackson is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Rams 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State University....
(St. Louis Rams star running back) - Tyson JacksonTyson Jackson-Kansas City Chiefs:Jackson was drafted by the Chiefs, who looked to implement him as DE into their new 3-4 defense. Jackson remained unsigned at the beginning of the Chiefs' training camp session and did not travel with the team to River Falls, Wisconsin...
(Kansas City Chiefs 2009 1st Round Draft Pick) - Michael CrabtreeMichael CrabtreeMichael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
(San Francisco 49ers 2009 1st Round Draft Pick) - Dez BryantDez Bryant- 2010 - Rookie Season :Bryant was signed by the Cowboys to a contract very similar to that of Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin on July 22, 2010. On July 23, 2010, it was announced that Bryant will wear number 88, the same as Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, and Cowboys legend Drew Pearson...
(Dallas Cowboys 2010 1st Round Draft Pick) - Ndamukong SuhNdamukong SuhNdamukong Suh is an American football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions 2nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
(Detroit Lions 2010 2nd overall pick)
External links
- http://bigten.cstv.com/genrel/022707aaa.html, retrieved April 16, 2007