Frederick Anthony Parnell was born on January 9, 1901, in Ashtabula, Ohio.

[1] He played college football at Colgate University in 1921 and was a letterman that season.

[1] Parnell signed with the New York Giants of the National Football League in 1925.

[3] The Giants finished the year with an 8–4 record, good for fourth place in the NFL.

[3] The 1927 Giants were named NFL champions after finishing the season in first place with an 11–1–1 record.