In time the unbeaten and largely unchallenged 1961 Punahou School football team would come to be viewed as one of the state’s all-time greats, but when the season started, the Buffanblu were no better than a middle-of-the-Interscholastic League of Honolulu selection.
“Before the season we were picked to finish something like fourth or fifth,” recalls teammate Walter Macfarlane.
What happened was a remarkable transformation of strength and spirit led by the senior class — one that, in many ways, two-way lineman Donald Parker came to typify.
“Weight training wasn’t something that was practiced a lot then — we didn’t even have a weight room at school at the time — but Donald really built himself up and people noticed,” said teammate Donnie Neves.
Parker, who died Wednesday at age 68, became a powerful pulling guard who, through force of personality and perseverance, helped Punahou to a 9-0 season before going on to captain the University of Virginia, play for the San Francisco 49ers and a have a long career in real estate redevelopment.
“My brother (Dave) was the (head) coach at the time, I was a sophomore and he gave me some pretty good advice,” recalls Pal Eldredge. “He said: ‘Don’t tick off Donald.’ ”
Sage advice, recalls Parker’s sophomore backup, Norm Chow.
“He was a good, tough, hard-nosed guy who was really mentally sharp. I looked up to him and wanted to be like him — we all did — because the coaches were always praising him,” Chow recalled.
Charlie Ane had just returned to Punahou as line coach after ending his playing career with the Detroit Lions and “really worked us hard,” Chow said. “Whatever we did he wanted more, but he loved Donald.”
On a team that sent a dozen of its members to play college football, they say Parker wasn’t the most talented, but got plenty out of what would become a 6-foot-3, 258-pound frame by the time the 49ers took him in the fourth round of the 1966 NFL Draft.
Together with Walter Harrington, the other guard, and All-ILH center Barc Johnson, they helped spearhead Punahou to a 53-26 demolition of Roosevelt in the annual Thanksgiving Day showdown.
“I don’t know if there was ever another (offensive) line that good in Hawaii (high school football), “ Chow said.
“Donald was a very caring, giving person,” Macfarlane said. But there was another reason younger players appreciated him and the seniors. “They were so good that the rest of us, the second- and third-team guys, usually got in the game by the second quarter,” Chow said.
Parker is survived by his wife, Sally; a sister; seven children and stepchildren; six grandchildren; two nephews and a niece.
Services will be Wednesday at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu, 45-550 Kionaole Rd., Kaneohe. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church to fund the Shalom Christian Birthing Home in the Philippines.
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Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
