“I think it's a very urgent group and a group that is hungry for knowledge and hungry for getting pushed, and they want to have collective success,†Parker said. “We don't have any selfish guys. We have a bunch of guys who want to do it together. They want to learn.â€
In the past, Parker has worked under some of the best defensive minds in the NFL. While with the Philadelphia Eagles, Parker learned under and won a Super Bowl with Vic Fangio. In Denver, he worked for another widely-respected defensive play caller in Vance Joseph. Even though it's his first time running his own defense, Parker's predecessors helped prepare him to do it his way.
“I've had great examples to learn from and I was always paying attention and picking their brains on that,†Parker said. “So it's not like I was shocked at some of the things that I had to do because I've always been engaged and I've always been involved in that in some capacity, being the title that I've held for the past couple years with different guys. They've allowed me to be involved in their process, which I try to do with our staff as well.â€
One of the more noticeable differences Parker pointed out in making the jump from a position coach and pass game coordinator to a defensive coordinator is recognizing his organization doesn't just affect him, but his staff and their families. With that, he and his assistant coaches build plans in advance down to the smallest of details.
It resembles the way that Parker wants things to be run both for him and his staff, but also for the players: Being deliberate about how they do everything.
“If it's simple, it's important,†Parker said. “So how are we tackling? How are we getting off blocks? How are we breaking the huddle? What is our sideline etiquette to get back and get subs in and out of the game? And then what is the foundation of how we want to kill blocks, tackle the football, play with great eyes and great communication?â€
“You can start with that from a walkthrough, I can go to HEB and find somebody who can at least do those things. So we want to go and find the foundation of what we do simple and then allow them to play with a clear mind to express their God-given abilities. And this group has been very intent on doing that at a high level.â€
