"Broken one face mask already in two weeks. Our equipment budget is going to go up a bit." said defensive co-ordinator Mike Morencie about 1st year linebacker Keewone Parker.
The 6'2, 215 pounder Detroit native has ten tackles in his first two games at St. Clair and the one below must have hurt. "It was ding shot after ding shot. He does everything at a different level" said Morencie. "He's a player. Everything he does is a little bit faster, a little bit more aggressive. It's obvious."
Parker played for the Panthers at Davenport University before heading to school in Florida and California. One of his friends was going to transfer to St. Clair but missed the age cutoff by a few days. Parker qualified by three days. He didn't feel enthused about coming to Canada alone but that changed when he made a trip to Windsor. "When I came on a visit they just made everything feel like at home. It was a win-win situation." Parker said.
He didn't know anyone on the team but Parker says Billy Patterson Jr. was the one that embraced him and got him acclimated with his new surroundings and teammates. "He brought me in and got me around the guys and got me comfortable."
Parker says he's here to cause havoc and have a good time. He would also like to play pro football one day. "He's got a skill set that he can absolutely a 100% play in the CFL if things work out for him." Morencie said. "He's gonna go through a lot of helmets here."
Here's a look at the first damaged one Parker is sending in for repair.
Hear more from Parker and Morencie in the following video as the Saints get ready for their home opener against the London Beefeaters in a rematch of last week's game.
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