Parrish played football and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Riviera Beach, Florida.
[2] After graduating college, he was selected by the Bengals in the seventh round of the 1970 NFL draft.
Parrish immediately made an impact, not just as a defensive back but also as a kick returner on special teams.
He was also the only player in franchise history ever to score two "return or recovery" touchdowns in a single game, a feat he accomplished three times.
[7] After retiring in 1982, Parrish struggled with a drug addiction, but checked into a Tennessee rehab clinic in 1986 and managed to overcome it and turn his life around.
He later returned to his alma mater, Lincoln University of Missouri, and earned a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in psychology.
Parrish eventually served as head coach of the Blue Tigers football team from 2004 to 2009.