David Parry has an opportunity to join some pretty select company as he goes to camp with the Indianapolis Colts.
Parry, a former Linn-Mar standout who was taken in the fifth round in last weekend’s NFL draft, could become the eighth Metro area product to play in the NFL in the last 25 years. Since the NFL got its start in 1920, the Metro has had 17 players see time in the league.
Parry was lightly recruited out of Linn-Mar and chose Stanford over Iowa as a walk-on. He ended up as a productive defensive lineman for the Cardinal, playing in two Rose Bowls and two other bowl games during his career.
The Colts traded up to snag Parry, whom the team believes can become a factor in its 3-4 defensive scheme.
The most decorated Metro product to play in the NFL is, of course, quarterback Kurt Warner from Regis. Undrafted out of Northern Iowa, Warner stands on the step of the Hall of Fame after passing for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns in 125 games. He was a Super Bowl most valuable player and 4-time Pro Bowl selection.
Wide receiver Dedric Ward of Washington and UNI has played the next-most number of NFL games, totaling 103 with five teams in eight professional seasons. He earned a Super Bowl ring in 2004 with New England.
Six of the 17 Metro products to play in the NFL did so before 1950. The only Metro player still active is tight end Allen Reisner out of Marion and Iowa.
One of the more interesting NFL “careers’’ was that of Carey Bender, a Marion product who set numerous NCAA Division III rushing records at Coe College. He spent most of the 1996 season on the Buffalo Bills practice squad. However, Bills Coach Marv Levy, a fellow Coe graduate, got Bender playing time in one regular season game that season.
Metro products who were selected in the NFL draft but never played in a regular season game include: Layne McDowell (Jefferson/Iowa), 10th round, 1971, New England; Craig Darling (Washington/Iowa), 8th round, 1973, Minnesota; Dave Greenwood (Kennedy/Iowa State), 12th round, 1977, Detroit; and Matt Petrzelka (Regis/Iowa), 11th round, 1981, San Diego.
The list of Metro area products who have played in the National Football League (alphabetical order), according to Pro Football Reference:
ADRIAN ARRINGTON, wide receiver (Washington/Michigan) – 5 games, 2010-12, New Orleans
FRANK BAKER, end (old Washington/Northwestern) – 2 games, 1931, Green Bay
CAREY BENDER, running back (Marion/Coe College) – 1 game, 1996, Buffalo
RICHARD BROWN, center (old Washington/Iowa) – 11 games, 1930, Portsmouth.
ROB BRUGGEMAN, center, (Washington/Iowa) – 2 games, 2010-11, Atlanta
BEN DOUGLAS, halfback (Grant/Grinnell College) – 6 games, 1933, Brooklyn.
TOM FARMER, halfback (Wilson/Iowa) – 27 games, 1946-48, Los Angeles Rams/Washington
RON GEATER, defensive end (Marion/Iowa) – 3 games, 1992, Denver
FRANK HRABETIN, tackle (old Washington/Loyola Marymount) – 17 games, 1942, 1946, Philadelphia/Miami/Brooklyn
LARRY LAWRENCE, quarterback (Jefferson/Iowa/Miami) – 9 games, 1974-76, Oakland/Tampa Bay
DAVE LONG, defensive line (Jefferson/Iowa) – 96 games, 1966-72, St. Louis/New Orleans
ALLEN REISNER, tight end (Marion/Iowa) – 17 games, 2011-current, Minnesota/Jacksonville/Baltimore
HERB SIES, offensive lineman (old Washington/Pittsburgh) – 29 games, 1920-24, Cleveland/Dayton/Rock Island
JOE STEPANEK, defensive tackle (Regis/Minnesota) – 1 game, 1987, Minnesota.
DEDRIC WARD, wide receiver (Washington/Northern Iowa) – 103 games, 1997-2004, New York Jets/Miami/New England/Baltimore/Dallas
KURT WARNER, quarterback (Regis/Northern Iowa – 125 games, 1998-2009, St. Louis/New York Giants/Arizona
DON YEISLEY, (old Washington/U of Chicago) – 3 games, 1928, Chicago
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