Don Parrish obit

'You don’t run at Don Parrish': Former Godby star, Pitt national champ and NFL tackle passes away

 

He was not on the list.

"Opponents have found that you don’t run at Don Parrish.”

A four-year starter at the University of Pittsburgh and a member of the Panthers’ 1976 national championship team, that line in the team’s media guide probably best described the defensive tackle's physical prowess on the field.

Parrish's personality was much different off the field, however.

“He was probably one of the biggest players on the team, and on the field he’d rip your eyes out,” Pitt teammate Chaz Bonasorte said Tuesday. “Off the field, though, he was one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet, a big teddy bear. He was laid back, fun to be around."

Parrish, a two-sport star at Godby who also played five years in the NFL and then returned to coach at Rickards High, died Saturday in Tallahassee. He had dealt with multiple health issues in recent years, according to the family.

He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 12th round of the 1977 NFL draft. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and was part of their 1976 NCAA consensus national championship team.

He died on May 8, 2021, at age 66, in Tallahassee, Florida.