Lloyd Parker†
Inducted 1995
Hometown: Brownsville
High School: Raymondville High School
College: Navy, Southern Methodist University, Rice University and Trinity University
Best Known for: Coach-Football
One of the fastest men in Valley history, Parker was a record-setting hurdler and star football player at Raymondville High School in the early 1940s before running and playing collegiately at four schools.
Parker graduated from Raymondville High School in 1943. He was all-district in football for three years, played basketball, won the state championship in 200-yard low hurdles in 1943 (this tied the national record), and won district singles in tennis. He played first-string half-back for Southern Methodist University in 1943. He joined the Navy and won Southwest Conference in track at Rice University and played halfback for Navy under the leadership of Paul Brown. Parker was an Olympic hopeful for 1948 but persistent injuries stalled the effort.
After the war, he played another year of football for SMU and two years for Trinity University. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University and a master’s degree in 1953 from Baylor University.
Parker went into coaching and after brief stints at Mineral Wells High School and Trinity University, Parker led Brownsville High School from 1954 to 1964, winning 63 total games including a district title and playoff win in 1962, when the Eagles were ranked in the state's top 10. Parker left Brownsville after the 1964 season for Texas City, where his squads won 41 games through 1972, with a 10-2 mark in 1967.
Parker was president of the Texas Association of High School Coaches in the early 1970s.