Defensive player of the week: This is Justus Parker’s world and we’re just living in it

On a sunny day in late August, Kliff Kingsbury released his two-deep. A list of starters and backups that would play for the Red Raiders to start the season. As we all scrolled down the names to the secondary, most of the players were either holdovers from last year or highly praised transfers who we’d seen plenty of in the Spring. One player was a transfer but not as highly touted as Octavious Morgan or Vaughntae Dorsey, and even though it was his second year in the program he wasn’t as known as Jah’shawn Johnson or Douglas Coleman. He was a nobody that walked on to the team and had made the two-deep roster as the backup nickel corner, virtually the #6 corner on the team. Yet that nobody has become the STAR of the defense.

Justus Parker is the DPOTW for the third time in four weeks. Even though some members of the secondary struggled, he did not racking up five solo tackles, a forced fumble,a pass deflection and his third interception in four games. “Ball Hawk” has been unbelievable and has won the respect of his teammates, coaches and all of Red Raider Nation. I, for one, and excited about where his career will take him.