He played college football for the Washington Huskies and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1998 NFL draft with the 35th overall pick.

Parrish starred in multiple sports at Marina High School (Huntington Beach, California), including basketball, baseball, football, and track and field.

As a football player, Parrish was first team All-County as a safety, and also played tailback his senior year, totaling 415 yards and eight touchdowns.

[4][5][6] As a senior, Parrish was named a team captain and led the huskies to an 8–4 record; he was also second-team All-Pac-10 and a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

[5] In the Aloha Bowl that year, the Huskies beat Michigan State 51–23, a game that included Parrish returning an interception 56 yards for a touchdown.

Following his rookie year, Parrish was also voted by his teammates as the recipient of the Brian Piccolo Award as a testament to his character.

[9] In week 11 of the 2000 NFL season, Parrish returned an interception for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter, which eventually secured a win for the Bears with a final score of 13–10.

Prior to the 49ers April minicamp, Parrish has his right testicle removed in an operation after discovering a tumor in an exam on a nagging groin injury.

In 2005, Parrish recorded two interceptions and 44 tackles in 9 starts before fracturing his fibula and ankle against the Chicago Bears in week 9 of the 2005 NFL season.

Following his release from the 49ers in 2006, he was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys on December 7, to add depth to the secondary for the playoff run.

Upon receiving the Ed Block award in his 1st season with the 49ers, Parrish became active with a ‘Courage House’ in San Francisco.

Parrish also spent time at the University of California San Francisco Children's Hospital where he consistently met with patients and their families.

‘Right to Play’ has brought the concept and benefits of team sports to over a million children around the world on a weekly basis.

[24] Parrish also volunteers for Armed Forces Entertainment and Pro Tour Production organizations, and travels abroad to visit US military personnel.

He has visited over a dozen military bases in 5 counties to-date including Kuwait, Bahrain, Singapore, and Djibouti (Africa).