TJ Parker promises more sack celebrations after earning national honors

As he continued to ramp up his numbers, so did he go further into the zone.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Thursday, November 21 2024

CLEMSON – T.J. Parker had a busy Saturday.

Tying a school record in sacks can often flood your mind with the thrill of success. Consistently winning your matchup enough to ruffle the feathers of your opposition can also be a lot to consider.

Clemson has always stressed the importance of doing the little things correctly in the heat of the moment, even if that means simply remembering to celebrate.

Parker’s dominant afternoon against Pittsburgh was a culmination of frustration for the sophomore edge rusher. As he jokingly admits, the Tiger defense leads the nation in “almost sacks.”

There was nothing “almost” about Parker’s second half.

His performance was dominant enough to fluster the Pittsburgh right tackle, who, at one point, found himself pleading with the official for answers. The crew chief had nothing helpful but to keep on rolling.

Parker knew once that instance had occurred. He also knows once his game allows him to begin talking on the field, that chatter is a sign he’s unstoppable.

“Yeah, I definitely do, and I will let them know that, too,” Parker said. “You know what I'm saying? It is a bad day when I get the trash talking on the field. I don't stop. So it's like he knows what I'm saying every time I line up against him in that second half? He's sighing and stuff like that, trying to talk to me, be friends, and I ain't trying to hear that. I'm just trying to play my game. So once I get in that mode and I keep going, it's like it's no stopping me.”

Even as Parker was jawing back and forth with the Panther opposition, everything began to tune out.

As he continued to ramp up his numbers, so did he go further into the zone.

“It's like quiet,” Parker said. “You don't hear anything. You see what you see and what you have to do, and it's like everything is just like you are locked in. You're locked in the game, but when you really in the zone it's like you hear nothing, and it's like a free flow. There are things you do that, you know what I'm saying? It just kind of happens, and sometimes it tells what you did, and sometimes you don't. It's just like a free-flow state. It kind of felt so it was good.”

Parker was so entrenched in his game that he forgot to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Enough for Barrett Carter to track him down to remind him that they’ve practiced their celebrations.

On Saturday, Parker had plenty of celebrations to choose from.

“On Thursdays is when we practice our celebrations, but when you get in a game sometimes you remember Barrett had to remind me, you got to celebrate,” Parker said. “In that moment, I realized I ain't celebrating for not one of these sacks. So, going forward, you'll see me celebrate more. Sometimes, you do whatever you are feeling in the moment, but sometimes, you have to realize you have to have fun with it. So, Barrett does a good job of reminding me you got to celebrate more, so you can definitely see some crazy celebrations coming up.”

With Clemson’s season closing, Parker hopes he has more to celebrate. A win over South Carolina and a shot at the postseason would undoubtedly be worthy of commemoration.