2018 Oklahoma Sooners Countdown to Kickoff | 33 Days!

What’s up, Sooner faithful?

There are 33 days left to go in our Countdown to Kickoff, which means we’re just over one month away from the start of the Oklahoma Sooners’ 2018 season. In today’s edition of the countdown series, I want to highlight two of the best to ever wear the No. 33: running back De’Mond Parker and fullback Trey Millard.

De’Mond Parker, man. This cat was a man amongst boys. It’s too bad he played during the 90’s — a.k.a. the dark ages of Oklahoma Football — because he was absolutely a special talent. He was known for his elite speed and agility, and his ability to make defenders miss while going full-speed was a sight to behold.

Parker eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in each of his three seasons (1996-98), and he’ll be remembered for his career-best 291-yard explosion at the Cotton Bowl against the Texas Longhorns in 1997. Parker and Texas’ Ricky Williams had themselves a day in Dallas.

In what was going to be Bob Stoops’ first year at the helm, Parker elected to forgo his senior season and enter the 1999 NFL Draft. He was picked up by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round, where he played for two seasons.

Today, De’Mond Parker’s 3,403 career rushing yards places him eighth among Oklahoma running backs, which is incredible considering the guys who have played that position in Norman.

Fast-forward through time, and you’ll find Trey Millard rocking 33 for the Crimson & Cream. Texas fans should know Millard well, because he hurdled and stiff-armed all of Longhorn Nation in one motion back in 2012.

That one play shows you everything you need to know about Trey Millard. This guy was a freak athlete. How else can you describe a 6’2”, 253-pound fullback/H-back who can leap and flatten defenders with ease, then proceed to turn on the jets for 73 yards?

Let’s rewind a bit to see how that glorious moment came to fruition. It all began in 2010, when Millard first arrived on the scene in Norman. The Columbia, Missouri native wowed coaches from day one. He showed maturity well beyond his years, and when you’re a fullback, blocking is your No. 1 job, and boy could this dude block.

Because of Millard’s exceptional skill set, he was able to see the field right away as a true freshman. Over the course of his Sooner career, Millard paved the way for studs like DeMarco Murray and Damien Williams.

When Millard wasn’t blocking, he was making plays with the rock in tow. Trey recorded 1,215 career yards from scrimmage for 13 total TDs en route to becoming a three-time All-Big 12 First-Teamer (2011-2013).

After seeing his final season cut short with an ACL injury, Millard was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Millard would remain in the Bay area for one season before being released in 2015.

That play he made in 2012 against UT was a thing of beauty, but Trey Millard made a ton of big plays throughout his Sooner career. That is why he will forever be regarded as one of the best fullbacks in Oklahoma history.

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