16 questions with Bills Legend Roscoe Parrish

[TucsonBillsFan]

Link https://www.buffalobills.com/news/16-questions-with-bills-legend-roscoe-parrish

 

1. Why are you excited to be the ‘Leader of the Charge’?

I miss then fans [and] I miss One Bills Drive. It’s been awhile. [I miss] the tailgating, the good energy, just everything in a whole – being a part of the Buffalo Bills organization…

2. Where are you living now?

I stay in Dade, Florida.

3. What have you been up to since you retired from the NFL?

I have my son, he’s entering his senior year [of high school]. I kind of help him out with football and everything, especially because he’s playing the same positions I played – wide receiver and punt returner. I have my two daughters, they’re 12 and eight years old. So, I’ve been more so a father because playing in the NFL…I kind of was away from them for a while. So, now I’m taking advantage of fatherhood. 

4. Are you helping coach your son?

Yes, I help him in the offseason but during the season…I don’t actually coach…but I step out every now and then to help the coaches do certain little drills…

5. Who were your favorite teammates when you played for the Bills?

Stevie Johnson, Lee Evans, Drayton Florence, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kyle Williams who’s still there, I’m looking forward to seeing him, it’s been a while, [were my favorites]. [There were] a couple of guys – Josh Reed, Peerless Price, the list goes on and on. It’s like a brotherhood.

 

6. Do you still keep in contact with any of those guys?

Yes, I talk to Lee Evans every now and then. [I also talk to] Stevie Johnson, Drayton Florence and a couple of guys. [I talk to] Reggie Corner as well.

7. If you could pick someone from when you played here, who was your funniest teammate?

I say Josh Reed. You know, we had to deal with Josh Reed throughout meetings and everything but on top of him being funny, he’s a cool guy as well. Drayton Florence too, you know, he got practice going. I remember those days he’d keep you going, especially [in] one-on-ones. You know, when you’d have one of those days when [you’d say], ‘Okay, it’s cold out here’ Drayton would bring that good energy [and say], ‘Okay man, let’s go!’ I kind of miss that after a while. D Flo – we called him ‘D Flo.’ 

8. Do you have any favorite personal game performances?

Yes, I have a couple. Actually, my favorite one I’d say is the Seattle Seahawks punt return that was the first game of the season [for 63 yards]. I forgot what year that was. Then you have the Denver Broncos, that was another punt return at the beginning of the season as well [for 74 yards]. [I also liked the] Jacksonville Jaguars [punt return], which was my first career punt return [it was for 82 yards]. All of them were there in Orchard Park…My biggest games were in Orchard Park that I can remember. 

9. What was it like for you your rookie year with the Bills? Do you have any advice for guys coming into the league?

My rookie year I had to learn how to practice because I got hurt my rookie year in training camp [when] I was diving for the ball. So, I kind of had to learn how to be a professional and just practice and not just go out there like a chicken with your head cut off. You have to be aware and survive throughout the whole season because it’s a long season and you have to stay on top of your diet, get your good workout in and be a pro.

10. Where was your favorite place to play on the road?

The Dolphins…being that I’m here from Miami and we played them twice a year…

RELATED LINKS

• Bills Life: Why “A Football Life: Thurman Thomas” is a must-see for Bills fans
• 21 questions with Bills Legend Nate Clements
• 13 questions with Bills Legend Drayton Florence

 

11. Are there guys on the current Bills team or around the league that remind you of yourself in the way that used to play?

Yes. I like Antonio Brown, being that he’s a small stature receiver and he also returns punts. I like Ty Lockett from Seattle, a small guy that returns punts as well. I like Tyreek Hill from Kansas City – I kind of stay in the small receiver, punt returner guys because that’s kind of like my game and my son is the same way as well.

12. What makes Buffalo a special place to play? Can you speak to some of the differences from Buffalo and other NFL cities?

I miss Buffalo because of the fans and, on top of [that], there’s no NBA basketball team or anything [like that] there, so when you go out…the people, the gratification and the gratitude there are amazing. Playing in Tampa, there’s so much going on that you don’t get that love like you get in Buffalo and that’s something that I miss. 

13. What do you miss most about football?

Just the competitiveness, the brotherhood [and] just going out there and practicing each and every day…

14. What are some of your hobbies aside from being a family man?

I still exercise. You know, I shoot hoops, I go bowling…I try and stay busy as much as possible. My main thing is I just enjoy being a father and that’s pretty much it.

15. If you didn’t play football was there anything else that you would have liked to do? 

I was always big into sports. I played basketball a lot [and] I ran track in college…Football was always my plan a and my plan b even though it’s not good to say, but I was that focused.

16. Did you have any idols growing up?

Yes, I did. Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith [and] Michael Jordan – the greats, you know. I watched Buffalo back in the early days with Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas [and] Jim Kelly of course a UM guy [University of Miami]. I was always in tune with sports as a kid, just stayed in tune with it [while] staying busy always.

Edited December 27, 2018 by TucsonBillsFan

[LABILLBACKER]

Legend? Maybe Alum would be a better description. 

[TucsonBillsFan]

1 minute ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Legend? Maybe Alum would be a better description. 

Agreed.. but that's what the link said LOL so when I went with the flow

[Aussie Joe]

Antonio Brown reminds him of the way he used to play..

[TucsonBillsFan]

1 minute ago, Aussie Joe said:

Antonio Brown reminds him of the way he used to play..

Something like that lolol?

[Buffalo716]

13 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Legend? Maybe Alum would be a better description. 

 

12 minutes ago, TucsonBillsFan said:

Agreed.. but that's what the link said LOL so when I went with the flow

Bills all time punt return leader. Underrated receiver 

 

retired #2 all time in average yards per punt return behind Hester...

 

if they weren’t in the same era Parrish goes down as one of the best punt return men

 

and he did have great hands and crisp routes... I’d kill for Parrish rn

Edited December 27, 2018 by Buffalo716

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

5 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

Antonio Brown reminds him of the way he used to play..

Play what? Cards?

[BillyWhiteShows]

7 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

 

Bills all time punt return leader. Underrated receiver 

 

retired #2 all time in average yards per punt return behind Hester...

 

if they weren’t in the same era Parrish goes down as one of the best punt return men

 

and he did have great hands and crisp routes... I’d kill for Parrish rn

 

Its really hard to call Roscoe Underrated because he was always injured.  pretending that a former Bills player was better than he actually was is just revisionist history

[Buffalo716]

9 minutes ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

 

Its really hard to call Roscoe Underrated because he was always injured.  pretending that a former Bills player was better than he actually was is just revisionist history

He is the leading punt returner in Bills history...

 

When he left the Bills he was SECOND ALL TIME IN AVERAGE in modern history behind Hester

 

He was a fantastic returner and there is no debating that. He could catch a football too

 

He couldn’t hold up to the NFL rigors, shove that revisionist history up your

Edited December 27, 2018 by Buffalo716

[KD in CA]

11 minutes ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

 

Its really hard to call Roscoe Underrated because he was always injured.  pretending that a former Bills player was better than he actually was is just revisionist history

 

In fairness, a lot of people here pretended he was better than he really was during his career too.

 

Legendary for being yet another terrible Bills draft pick.

[Nextmanup]

Tucsonbillsfan: thanks for posting this.

I enjoyed reading Roscoe's comments.

 

Good luck to him leading the charge on Sunday.

 

 

Edited December 27, 2018 by Nextmanup

[dwight in philly]

28 minutes ago, KD in CA said:

 

In fairness, a lot of people here pretended he was better than he really was during his career too.

 

Legendary for being yet another terrible Bills draft pick.

Jesus. the crux of the post was actually very worthwhile. enjoyed it.. why so negative. ? loosen up. 

[without a drought]

1 hour ago, Aussie Joe said:

Antonio Brown reminds him of the way he used to play..

He was correct about small receivers who also returns punts. Parrish, Brown and Lockett, almost interchangeable if you stop comparing there.

 

Roscoe was a good punt returner who also had some success as a slot guy here.

Edited December 27, 2018 by The Drought

[BillyWhiteShows]

40 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

He is the leading punt returner in Bills history...

 

When he left the Bills he was SECOND ALL TIME IN AVERAGE in modern history behind Hester

 

He was a fantastic returner and there is no debating that. He could catch a football too

 

He couldn’t hold up to the NFL rigors, shove that revisionist history up your

 

The difference is that Hester and others have about three times the returns that Parrish does.  Why?  Because he was often injured and didn’t get the chance at as many returns.  

 

Also you say he could catch the football?  His best season was about 35 catches.  Again, people are exaggerating his abilities here as they often do with former Bills players.

 

I will say that he had the potential to be a really good gadget player if he could stay healthy.  But the comparisons to Antonio Brown are revisionist history.

 

3 minutes ago, The Drought said:

He was correct about small receivers who also returns punts. Parrish, Brown and Lockett, almost interchangeable if you stop comparing there.

 

Roscoe was a good punt returner who also had some success as a slot guy here.

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/ParrRo00.htm

 

Success as a slot reciever?  Since when does less than 35 receptions in a year equate success.  He was an OK reciever that never really made a significant impact. 

[H2o]

 

[Helpmenow]

Fantastic return

[Buffalo716]

8 minutes ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

 

The difference is that Hester and others have about three times the returns that Parrish does.  Why?  Because he was often injured and didn’t get the chance at as many returns.  

 

Also you say he could catch the football?  His best season was about 35 catches.  Again, people are exaggerating his abilities here as they often do with former Bills players.

 

I will say that he had the potential to be a really good gadget player if he could stay healthy.  But the comparisons to Antonio Brown are revisionist history.

 

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/ParrRo00.htm

 

Success as a slot reciever?  Since when does less than 35 receptions in a year equate success.  He was an OK reciever that never really made a significant impact. 

I never compared him to Brown and stats do not tell the whole story...

 

yes he was injured a lot... that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a good player when healthy 

 

and when targeted be caught it

[John from Riverside]

Roscoe was literally not coverable

 

Just could not stay healthy

[without a drought]

11 minutes ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

 

Success as a slot reciever?  Since when does less than 35 receptions in a year equate success.  He was an OK reciever that never really made a significant impact. 

I said "some success" because he had a good 1st down % and target %, when healthy he contributed in the slot by keeping drives alive.

 

Edited December 27, 2018 by The Drought

[BillyWhiteShows]

5 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

Roscoe was literally not coverable

 

Just could not stay healthy

 

A bit of a hyperbole.  Yes Roscoe has his issues with injuries especially toward the end of his career but read his stats.  He did play a full 16 game season a few years and one 13 game season.  Again, he never amassed more than 35 receptions.  He usually was under 30.

 

So again, you can say that he had potential or was a good route runner but to say “uncoverable” is a bit of an exaggeration.  I wouldn’t say that a reciever with 30 receptions over 16 games was uncoverable.  That’s the truth.  My point is Bills fans sometimes look back and remember players for being better than they were I actuality 

Edited December 27, 2018 by BillyWhiteShows