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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1975)
page 6 i f m m mmm jmm fLm. c fendsw i J iiui i S.1 . i V liU, .... " -I ,-a Photo courtesy TCU TCU tight end Ronald Parker takes his lumps from two University of Texas-Arlington defenders during the Frogs 24-7 loss. By Tom Burke Sports Editor Daily Skiff , Texas Christian University When you're losing game after game, it's no fun playing college football. Each week you're fighting and trying to do your best, but somehow, the worst always happens. . That's the kind of year the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University (TCU) suffered through last year. And no one would like to have a winning season more this year than Frog tight end Ronald Parker. Parker, 6 ft. 4 in. 215 lbs. senior from Brenham, Tex., is listed as the top player on the team this year by head coach Jim Shofner. He caught 12 passes for 174 yards last year, his first at TCU since he trans fered from Blinn Junior College. Outstanding blocker "Last year I felt Parker was as good as any around," Shofner said. "I still feel that way. He's an outstanding blocker, one of the best I've seen. He can play for any- one. Parker is elated by the praise his coaches give him, but he takes it nonchalantly. "It puts a little pressure on me, but I try not to think about it or let it bother me, Parker said. "When you do bad you think you have to do better because you are supposed to be the t -st. People begin to think you should be super-human." Strives to improve Pre-season polls have listed the tight end as all-Southwest Conference and TCU coaches think he will make a strong bid for post-season honors. Still, Parker strives to improve himself so he can be that rhuclv better each Saturday he suits up. "I can see areas I need to improve on. There's always room for improvement, he explained. "Last year, playing major college football, was a learning year for me. I hope I can put into effect this year what I learned last year. "I need to run my pass patterns better. All of us need to improve this year. You look back on last year and figure you've got to be better. "Well always be the underdog this year so we've got to give 120 per cent every game.' The Frogs opened the season against the University of Texas at Arlington. First . game jitters and unnecessary mistakes resulted in a 24-7 loss for the TCU Pruples, but with that game under their belt and a 33-10 loss to Arizona State wedged be tween that encounter and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Parker thinks he and the team will be prepared for the "Big Red." "Gonna be tough" "You can bet they're gonna be tough. Of course everyone will probably be tough for us, but they've got a lot of talent and experience. Take Tony Davis for example. I thought he had graduated, but 1 looked at the roster the other day and saw he was on it and began sweating a little," Parker said with seriousness in his voice. Parker said the Frogs will have to be both physically and mentally ready because of , the difficult challenge the Huskerspose. "Our adrenalin will have to be flowing so fast that it will still be going after the fourth quarter while we are . in the showers, Parker said. "Remember anyone can be beaten on a given day." 1. M.ij....u.iiiii .n.i. u i ...iiii.ii mi. p -i.i.l. iiiiiiu i. n.i.j hi .. , i .!. n.uMiM,,m u mini Mil My mmuwiin i Hi .in. i.iimi hi., .mm..... ir u...i l.iii I I I I, niy 11.11 i.i i n.i.i..n i.-mm u inn n .on iilii.hi .nil hi' I 1 1. 1...1 .ii. 1.U.11.1...11 ,im iui.nnniiiiiiii.iiii mm n in I ,-'-1. v.7 v,v- s Www rtfv TCU Tim Pullian, (45) TCU defensive back, moves in to tackle a University of Texas-Arlington running back as linebacker Robert Dobry comes in to assist. WTOaiBar, spr .:.":r:. - - m . ... .. iMi.irnir,riiiw.a