In the spring of 2014, Brooks County High School graduated easily one of the most dynamic gridiron threats to ever set foot in Quitman, Georgia. Young Malkom Parrish was a three-time member of the GHSA All-State Team for Class AA (Second Team in 2011 and 2012, First Team in 2013) and was named the Offensive Player of the Year at the conclusion of his senior campaign.
In just his freshman year, Parrish led Brooks County to the GHSA Class AA State Quarterfinals after amassing 1,019 yards and six touchdowns passing and 881 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. During his final three years, the Trojans completed back-to-back 12-win seasons (2012-13) and Region 1-AA Championships. In fact, the team only suffered a total of six losses combined during that span. Parrish was a dynamo under center. The 5’10”, 185-pound quarterback seemed nearly invincible anytime his cleats were planted on Trojan Field.
He passed for 2,600 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding 1,300 yards and 24 rushing as a senior. Followers of the young star also remember, however, that as a Trojan, Parrish also saw ample time on the opposite side of the ball; he was ranked as high as sixth in the nation at cornerback.
His talents definitely did not go unnoticed. He was heavily recruited and eventually made the decision to remain in-state, joining the University of Georgia in Athens. He joined the roster during a tremendous recruiting era for the Bulldogs; among the 2014 class that entered the school with him are roster standouts like running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, offensive lineman Dyshon Sims, and defensive back Dominick Sanders.
One of the first adjustments to be made was rather abrupt: The size of the move was not one to be taken lightly. After crossing the stage in Quitman, Parish left a town with a square-footage of just over four miles and settled into a school with a student population that alone outnumbered the total population in his hometown by a 10:1 ratio.
“When I first got here – I can’t lie – my focus was a little shaken,” Parrish said. “One of the benefits to being a football player is that you arrive in the summer when the campus isn’t so crowded. It gave me time to get used to class schedules, football routines, and the everyday life of the school. But on the flip side, there was a lot more temptation, a lot more free time, and my focus drifted a little. But I had guys in my corner: Sony, Dominick, Chubb. Those guys kept me grounded. We knew we were all in similar situations and what we would have to do.”
While he didn’t start any contests in his freshman campaign, he managed to set a then-career-high with five tackles and one forced fumble against Auburn University (which, at the time, was ranked ninth in the nation). After a sophomore year in which he started every game, Parrish is in the midst of a junior season where he has continued to make his name well-known as a lockdown defender in the SEC. However, many may look at his current comfort between the hedges in Sanford Stadium and underestimate just how much hard work it took to get to this level.
“The transition was a little difficult at first, to be honest,” Parrish said. “Playing quarterback in high school, I was used to being in control because the ball spent a majority of time in my hands. I was able to dictate the flow and direction of the game on offense. Now that it’s strictly defense for me, it took some getting used to. I had to learn to value every defensive stand so much more because I don’t have the ball as much as I did in the past. On defense, if I want the ball, I’ve got to go take it.”
As if location and position weren’t enough, after his first two years, another change presented itself, this time in the locker room. After 15 seasons in which he led the team to five SEC Eastern Division titles and two SEC Championships, two-time SEC Coach of the Year Mark Richt was dismissed by the Bulldogs program. His replacement came in the form of Kirby Smart, who had previously served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Alabama from 2008 to 2015.
“Coach Smart is big on discipline,” Parrish said. “He’s extremely strict when it comes to rules and discipline. But it’s all been positive for us. It’s helped us a lot. But I like him and what he’s done here so far. No matter who the coach is, I know that it ultimately falls on me. Playing time, roster spots, that’s on me. I have to work, and I have to want it every day.”
Upon entering UGA, Parrish had his mind set on a business degree. However, anyone who has spent time in a college classroom can easily relate: The first decision is rarely ever the final. Again, he was left crafting adjustments to make the best of his obstacles. He is now working his way down a new path that will earn him a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2018.
“I was set on business, yeah,” Parrish said. “But I can’t lie, those business classes were tough. I had some serious talks with my advisor, and I found out that he had been down a similar road to mine when he was in college. Juggling that degree with a football career is not impossible, but it is tough. He advised me to change focus, and now I’m in a position where I feel more comfortable. I really appreciate everything that he did for me.”
Communication could be exactly what he needs to kick in the door to his future. He now finds himself a veteran of sorts. As a junior on the team, it is now his turn to pay it forward; Parrish has shifted responsibilities and now assumes the role of a mentor rather than the mentee.
“I feel like, being an older guy, I have to be an example,” Parrish said. “I have to do more than speak. I have to show. I have to show younger guys the importance and value of maturity and balancing their lifestyle as a collegiate student-athlete. I used to think it would be overwhelming, but in reality it’s actually quite humbling.”
In fitting fashion, Parrish would like nothing more than to take his God-given talent and pass it on to future generations. Ideally, he sees himself coaching the game that has captivated his heart since he was a child, first on the high school level and eventually advancing as far as possible.
In a perfect world, the young student-athletes that he would like to guide would be in his own backyard. Parrish openly expresses that he would like nothing more than to someday earn the opportunity to join the coaching staff of the Brooks County Trojans. He is a product of the community. He has left the nest to continue to make Quitman proud, and he would relish the chance to join a staff with one of the strongest mentors of his high school career: head football coach Maurice Freeman.
“Aww man, being able to stand on the sideline with Coach Freeman would be a dream come true,” Parrish said with a laugh. “Quitman, Brooks County, that’s home. That’s where it all started. It took a lot of perseverance and fighting to get to where I am now, and it would mean the world to me to be able to go home and help change lives. I know what goes on in that town, so when I tell those young guys that I can relate to them, I really mean it.”
Obstacles, no matter the scale, have presented themselves to Malkom Parrish. Whether it be adjusting to a new campus, fighting for a starting position, or juggling the rigors of academics and athletics at a Division I university, one thing has remained the same: He faces every challenge head-on. And in doing so, his primary purpose is front and center.
“Let’s face it: Quitman isn’t that big,” Parrish said. “But that doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed if you’re coming up in that city. I want kids to look at me and always remember that they can be better than what anyone says. Never quit. No matter what you go through, there will be bumps. But you’ve got to focus and fight to get what you want. And most importantly, stay humble. When you see your problems as opportunities that you can handle rather than obstacles, that alone can take you a long way.”
In the Game/December 2016
Malkom Parrish
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
The Fight in the Dawg: No Matter the Obstacle, Parrish Comes to Play
Written by: James A. Washington
Photos courtesy of the University of Georgia
