Jackie Parker (January 1, 1932 - November 7, 2006) was an All-American in college football and a running back, quarterback, defensive player, and head coach in Canadian football. He is primarily known for his play with the Edmonton Eskimos. Late in his career, he also played for the Toronto Argonauts and the British Columbia Lions.
Parker became one of the most important parts of the Eskimos dynasty of the mid-1950s. Joining the Eskimos in 1954, Parker played both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball, a practice not so uncommon in his day as it is today; however, his main strength was offensively, where he was both a strong runner and an excellent quarterback. This is shown by his all-star selections; as a running back in 1954, 1957 and 1959, and as a quarterback in 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960 and 1961. He won six consecutive Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophies as the West Division's most outstanding player from 1956 to 1961, and seven in total. He was awarded the Schenley Award as the league's most outstanding player in 1957, 1958 and 1960 and was the runner-up in 1956 and 1961.
During the first three years of his career, the Eskimos won three consecutive Grey Cups, and in the first, Parker made one of the most famous plays in Grey Cup history when, in the fourth quarter, Ted Tully hit Montréal running back Chuck Hunsinger and forced a fumble. Parker recovered the ball and returned it ninety yards for a touchdown, giving the Eskimos, who were a large underdog in the game, a surprise victory. The Eskimos traded Parker after the 1962 season to the Toronto Argonauts for five players and $15,000. Parker played in Toronto from 1963 to 1965. He finished his career with the BC Lions in 1968 when, as an assistant coach, he helped the team out of a difficult mid-season situation by donning the pads for one last go round as quarterback. At the time of his retirement, Parker, who also kicked extra points and field goals, had scored a then CFL record 750 points.
After his playing career, Parker moved into coaching. Parker coached the BC Lions for part of the 1969 season and all of 1970, before moving on to the front office as general manager the next year. He stayed as general manager until being fired in 1975. Parker coached the Eskimos from 1983 to 1987 CFL season, winning the Grey Cup in 1987. Parker's #91 currently hangs on the Wall of Honour at the Eskimos' Commonwealth Stadium. The "Jackie Parker Park" in Edmonton, Alberta was named in his honor.
Jackie Parker was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Parker died in the early morning hours at a local Edmonton hospital at age 74 due to throat cancer.
His acting break came as Marlon Brando's understudy in Streetcar Named Desire. He eventually replaced Brando on stage as Stanley Kowalski.
In 1947, Palance made his Broadway debut, followed three years later by his screen debut, in the movie Panic in the Streets (1950). He was quickly recognized for his skill as a character actor, receiving an Academy Award nomination for only his third film role, as Lester Blaine in Sudden Fear.
The following year, Palance was Oscar-nominated again, for his role as the evil gunfighter Jack Wilson in Shane. Several other Western roles followed, but he would also play such varied roles as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and Attila the Hun.
In 1957, Palance won an Emmy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mountain McClintock in the Playhouse 90 production of Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight.
Jean-Luc Godard persuaded him to take on the role of Hollywood producer Jeremy Prokosch in the 1963 nouvelle vague movie Le Mépris, with Brigitte Bardot and Michel Piccoli. Although the main dialogue was in French, Palance spoke only English.
While still busy making movies, in the 1980s, Palance also co-hosted (with his daughter Holly Palance), the television series Ripley's Believe It or Not.
Appearing in Young Guns (1988) and Tim Burton's Batman (1989) reinvigorated Palance's career and demand for his services kept him involved in new projects each year right up until the turn of the century.
Palance died of natural causes, he was 87.
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