Clarence "Ace" Parker, 1912-2013

[Duvall]

Ace Parker, arguably the greatest athlete in Duke history, passed away last night. (http://hamptonroads.com/2013/11/hall-fame-great-ace-parker-dies-101)

[Reilly]

RIP.

So Ace played football at Duke in 1934, 1935, and 1936.

December 1, 1934: in Durham, Duke 32 - N.C. State 0
November 23, 1935: in Raleigh, Duke 7 - N.C. State 0
November 26, 1936: in Durham, Duke 13 - N.C. State 0

Pretty cool that we get to play a traditional rival this week, on the same field where he played.

[ricks68]

The link doesn't work now. I did a search on the newspaper's web site and found nothing about his death. Is more information available elsewhere?

NBC News has it on their front page.

ricks

[DukieInKansas]

Here is a link to the article from NBC News: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/11/06/hall-of-famer-clarence-ace-parker-dies-at-101/#comments

The comments after are great. I especially like this one: "I’m pretty sure the Dos Equis guy is based off of this guy."

RIP, good sir.

[Merlindevildog91]

Here is a link from the Norfolk paper:

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/11/nfl-hall-famer-ace-parker-dies-101

I remember seeing him around town when I was young. He seemed to be a fine gentleman.

[sagegrouse]

Ace was the oldest living NFL player and the oldest living member of the NFL and College Football Hall of Fame. He may also have been the oldest living major league baseball player.

Guys that played for him said he had the physique of a 25YO when he was 50. Travelling to road games in baseball, he would go out and play golf with the pitchers on off-days and had no trouble shooting 75 with any old set of clubs he picked up.

sagegrouse

[SmartDevil]

A great athlete and a Duke icon.

How is he honored on campus in the 21st Century....any plaques ? Or small statues of Ace portraying him as he played? Perhaps there should be if not.

[burnspbesq]

A great athlete and a Duke icon.

How is he honored on campus in the 21st Century....any plaques ? Or small statues of Ace portraying him as he played? Perhaps there should be if not.

A statue needs to be erected, in a place where the team will pass it going from the locker room to the field on game days. A reminder of the tradition they are a part of. A Duke equivalent to Howard's Rock.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

A statue needs to be erected, in a place where the team will pass it going from the locker room to the field on game days. A reminder of the tradition they are a part of. A Duke equivalent to Howard's Rock.
The Rock is at the top of the tunnel into the stadium, but is inside the Yoh.

Such a commemoration as you describe could go somewhere in the football museum or nearby... all in the Yoh.

[DU82]

Ace was the oldest living NFL player and the oldest living member of the NFL and College Football Hall of Fame. He may also have been the oldest living major league baseball player.

Guys that played for him said he had the physique of a 25YO when he was 50. Travelling to road games in baseball, he would go out and play golf with the pitchers on off-days and had no trouble shooting 75 with any old set of clubs he picked up.

sagegrouse

He was actually the second oldest MLBer. He was, I think, number six on the list when Bill Werber was number one.

[-jk]

He was actually the second oldest MLBer. He was, I think, number six on the list when Bill Werber was number one.

And, of course, as everyone knows: Bill Werber served the beer.

-jk

[throatybeard]

And, of course, as everyone knows: Bill Werber served the beer.

-jk

Ace Parker mixed the cocktails, though.

[awhom111]

Here are his bust and a pair of his shoes from my trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/8827/t8ds.jpg
http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/1203/5dnz.jpg

[kAzE]

Wow, nice picture Awhom!

RIP Ace!

[sagegrouse]

There was an article in one of the Tidewater papers a couple of years ago. Ace was a big deal in HS -- a five sport star -- golf, track, football, baseball and hoops. He visited Duke as a senior and met with Wallace Wade.

"Where do you plan to go to college, young man?" Wade asked.

"I am thinking of VPI," responded Parker.

"Well, you should probably go there," advised Wade, "because you are probably not good enough to play here."

Not bad, WW, NOT BAD.

-- sagegrouse

[monkey]

He fought the good fight. Rest in Peace, Ace.

In hoc,

Monkey

[Cameron]

Anbody who has outlived a century has lived a good life.

Thanks for sharing. Embarrassingly, I wasn't much familiar with the man's storied history at Duke and in all of sport. Great stuff.

[BlueDevilinNYC]

Here's video from Youtube of an Ace Parker 70 yd punt-return TD against NC State during the 1935-36 season.

Here's to hoping Jamison can honor his legacy with one of his own against State this weekend.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF4qWRM27uI

[SmartDevil]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/ace-parker-nfl-hall-of-famer-dies-at-101/2013/11/07/9294c7aa-47cb-11e3-a196-3544a03c2351_story.html

Detailed obituary of Ace appears in Friday's Post with considerable detail, parituclarly regarding his Duke years. Well worth reading. In fact, highly recommended.

[throatybeard]

Times obit, which ran in the Thursday print edition.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/sports/football/ace-parker-pro-football-hall-of-famer-from-leather-helmet-days-dies-at-101.html