Texas Tech Football: 50 Greatest Red Raiders of all time

Sep 13, 2014; Lubbock, TX, USA; Former Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive standout Gabe Rivera

No. 5 – Dave Parks (Wide receiver 1961 – 1963)

While Crabtree is the greatest Texas Tech wide receiver ever, he is not in the College Football Hall of Fame like the No. 5 greatest player in program history.

At face value, Dave Parks’ stats don’t warrant his inclusion on the all-time Texas Tech top 50 list. But Parks was a trailblazer as one of the first star receivers in the modern era of college football.

Parks set school records with 499 receiving yards in a season, 1,090 career yards and 80 career receptions all of which were outstanding numbers in his era.

Parks was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 becoming the third Red Raider to receive that honor.

A 1963 all-American and the No. 1 overall pick in the 1964 NFL Draft, Parks helped put Texas Tech football on the national map.

The Abilene native excelled in the pros leading the NFL in 1965 with 80 catches, 1,344 yards and 12 touchdowns. Parks was also a three-time Pro Bowl selection during his 10-year NFL career.

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