Education
Parks attended Abilene High School (Abilene, Texas) and played for head coach Chuck Moser.
Parks played at the college level for the Texas Technical Red Raiders from 1961-1963. While at Texas Technical, Parks set several school records and earned many accolades. During his junior season in 1962, Parks was named an All-Southwest Conference selection.
Following his final season in 1963, Parks became the first player in Texas Technical history to be named an Associated Press All-American, and also earned selections from The Sporting News, Time Magazine, Boston Recorder-American, Sports Extra, the American Football Coaches Association, and Football Weekly.
Additionally, Parks received invitations to the East West Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl, and the Coaches All-America Game.
Upon his graduation, Parks held the school records for career receptions (80), single-season receptions (32), single game receptions (8 vs Kansas State in 1963), and single game receiving yards (132 vs Kansas State in 1963).
His record for longest interception return of 98 yards that occurred during a 1962 game versus Colorado still remains a school record.
Parks is one of only three Texas Technical players to have their jerseys retired along with East.J. Holub and Donny Anderson. He was named to the inaugural class of the Texas Technical Ring of Honor, which honors the players by engraving their names into a ring around Jones American Telephone & Telegraph Company Stadium, and has been the only Red Raider selected as the 1st overall pick of the NFL Draft.
Parks was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, joining fellow Red Raiders Donny Anderson, Hub Bechtol, East. J. Holub, and Gabriel Rivera.
Parks was also inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.