If Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker manages to parlay his senior season in college into first-round draft status, it won't have come without its trials.
Parker broke a bone in his foot in August, underwent corrective surgery, and missed more than half the season recovering. Now, just three games into his return to the starting lineup, he's lost his starting quarterback. The school announced Tuesday that Will Gardner has been lost for the season due to a knee injury. That means Parker's final on-field push as an NFL draft prospect will have to rely on a backup quarterback to get him the ball: Reggie Bonnafon.
Fortunately for the freshman Bonnafon, he's picked up some significant experience this season with 92 pass attempts. But unfortunately for Parker, 87 of those attempts came while Parker was recovering from the foot injury, which means the two could have some chemistry to build over the final month of the season. With Gardner at the helm, Parker's return to the starting lineup was nothing short of explosive, catching 25 passes in three games for 490 yards, including 214 against Florida State on a nationally-televised Thursday-night stage.
Parker (6-foot-3, 211 pounds) is one of the top prospects at his position for the 2015 NFL draft. He's caught 29 career touchdown passes, including 12 as a junior in 2013, the most prolific season of his career (55 for 885). Parker topped College Football 24/7's preseason list of the game's most freakish athletes. That should serve him well at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, where pure athleticism can help prospects overcome things like missed time for injuries.
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