By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
MOUNT ULLA — K.P. Parks looks different after a year at Virginia, and only part of it is a change in hairstyle.
“It’s called a frohawk,” explained Parks, who has adopted an unorthodox look that, as the name implies, is equal parts mohawk and old-school ABA Afro. “We’ll just have to see. I plan to wear it for our first game. If we win, I just might keep it.”
Park’s body also has a different look — a more mature look.
It’s not so much a change in total poundage as a radical shift in how his weight is distributed. His waist is several inches smaller than when he dominated at West Rowan, but he’s even bigger in the chest, arms and shoulders. The baby fat is gone. He’s a man now.
“When I reported to Virginia last summer I felt like I was in really good shape, but then I lost 12 pounds that very first week,” Parks said. “I’m at 195 now, and 195 to 200 is a great weight for me. I feel light on my feet.”
Parks has just come through a challenging year in which he didn’t play a down.
Redshirting freshmen is standard procedure in Division I football, but you had to wonder when he headed to Charlottesville if Parks might be an exception to the rule.
He had a prep career at a different level than any Rowan County back has ever enjoyed, rushing for a staggering 3,794 yards and 59 touchdowns for the 3A state champions as a senior and amassing 10,895 rushing yards and 158 touchdowns in a magnificent career.
And Parks didn’t just set a bushel of local and state records — he broke national records for career carries (1,370) and 100-yard rushing games (55). He was the Old Spice Red Zone National Player of the Year, a Parade All-American, a Maxpreps All-American.
Some say the redshirting concept — maturing physically for a year while undertaking a normal load of academic courses but without losing a precious year of athletic eligibility — can be traced back to 1937 at Nebraska.
There also is general agreement the term “redshirt”came into use because practice-squad players usually wore red jerseys in the old days so coaches could easily distinguish them from the regulars.
Virginia made an early decision to redshirt Parks last fall with the basic idea that he’ll be far more difficult for opponents to handle as a 23-year-old fifth-year senior than he would’ve been as an 18-year-old true freshman.
Parks wasn’t in the top two on the tailback depth chart after camp last seson, so the decision for Virginia coaches was routine. There was little to be gained by giving him a handful of carries and wasting a year of eligibility.
Parks understood all that and agreed with the redshirt plan, but it didn’t make standing on a sideline for the first time in his life any easier.
“Sure it was tough, but I really didn’t mind it, and I thought it was the best thing for everyone” he said. “The only really hard part was when we played ACC opponents. It was tough just standing there and not being able to help.”
Just because there are plans to redshirt a player doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. He’s still eligible — if needed.
Parks dressed and traveled to most of Virginia’s away games and would have relinquished his redshirt status if injuries had struck the tailback corps. The price of participating in even one play, would have cost Parks a season of eligibility. Fortunately, there were no emergencies.
Parks attended meetings and lifting sessions, mastered the playbook and sweated at practice just like the veteran Cavaliers. He had an interesting job at practice, usually emulating the first-string running back on that week’s opponent.
“I had my role on what we call the Show Team,” Parks said. “That helped me a lot because I got to practice against our first-team defense. I usually held my own.”
Not surprisingly, Parks was an all-star off the field — in the classroom and in the community. Virginia is a serious academic institution, not a football factory, and Parks held his own in that arena as well.
“It’s all about grades here, really,” he said. “They beat that into your heads very quickly and players compete for grades as much as they do playing time. I was disappointed that I just missed the Dean’s List.”
Parks has been impressed by coach Mike London, who wants to win games as much as anyone and has high expectations for the athletes he leads.
“Coach is a guy that cares about us as people, not just players,” Parks said. “Some of our conversations — football doesn’t even come up.”
Virginia’s been through some tough times and has won just three road games the past three seasons. The Cavaliers were 77th in the nation in rushing last season with just 139 yards per game — a decent half for Parks back in the day.
A guy who led West Rowan to the first two of its three-year string of 3A state championships, hopes to be instrumental in a Cavalier turnaround this fall.
He’ll enter the season as the No. 2 tailback behind co-captain Perry Jones, also a little guy, at least by the standards of big-time college football.
Jones, 5-8, 195, is a junior who has proven himself at the ACC level. He rushed 137 times for 646 yards in 2010. The elusive Jones brings some lightning to the table. It’s Virginia’s hope that Parks will add the thunder.
“Perry is very good, and I feel confident the ACC is going to know a lot about Perry and about me before this season is over,” Parks said. “We want to show what small backs can do.”
Bold words from a guy with zero career carries for zero yards and zero touchdowns, but as always, Parks is confident as opposed to cocky.
That’s a good thing. If you’re not confident, your shelf life in the ACC is going to be brief.
“There’s always doubters out there, but doubters have always fed my fire,” Parks said. “I have to prove myself in the ACC, and I know that. But I’ve had a great offseason, and I feel like it’s my time. I’m ready to roll — to show what I can do.”
Virginia, which has 17 starters back, eight on offense, opens Sept. 3 at home against William & Mary. The Cavs’ only visit to Parks’ home state will be a trip to Chapel Hill on Sept. 17.