Parris stays one step ahead
11/28/2014 10:37:00 AM | Football
Josh Parris had a feeling.
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"When I was a freshman, I didn't realize that my senior year would be the 150th game against Lafayette, but then I started to do the math," he said.
Â
Josh is a bright and perceptive individual who's often one step ahead of the game. This was no different. Before the schools announced that the 150th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry would be played at Yankee Stadium, Parris was hopeful the schools would do something special.
Â
He never expected something so big.
Â
"I'll be able to share this moment with family and friends for as long as I live," said Parris. "I played where Jeter played, in front of more than 50,000 people in Yankee Stadium."
Â
A local product out of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, Parris' path took him from the hills of Goodman Stadium as a little kid to Lehigh football's biggest stage, playing his final college football game in front of a sold-out Yankee Stadium. In between, Parris would have never imagined playing football, never mind being a captain at a perennial power like Lehigh.
Â
Parris was a multi-sport athlete in high school and always hoped to play basketball in college.
Â
"My first love for sports was basketball, but I stuck with it and decided to play football my freshman year of high school," he said. "My coach moved me to wide receiver my junior year. I had a couple good games when college coaches were looking at other players. That's when things started progressing and it hit me that I could play football in college."
Â
While Parris was excelling in multiple sports, he was impressing in the classroom as well. Growing up, his father and late mother relayed a consistent message to him.
Â
"My parents stressed that football is a privilege, not a right," said Josh. "If you don't do well in the classroom, you won't be able to play. Don't expect us to get you on the field if you can't play because of academic reasons. We're not going to help you out.
Â
"That message continued to stick with me and was something I thought about a lot."
Â
Lehigh is a perfect fit for Parris because of his skills on the football field and most importantly, his mindset as an all-around student-athlete. However, going into the recruiting process, Lehigh was one of the last places he wanted to attend.
Â
"To be quite honest, I didn't really have a high interest in Lehigh, being so close to home," said Parris. "My ideal college was somewhere far away, but not too far away. The Lehigh coaching staff kept showing interest. They came to a lot of my basketball games, showing their support. Once the other schools dwindled away, Lehigh was right there."
Â
Ultimately, Parris realized that Lehigh featured several more advantages than drawbacks. Family was at the top of the list.
Â
"One benefit was that my father would be able to come to a lot of my games and I could be closer to him," said Josh. "My mother passed away when I was in high school, so I didn't want to go too far from my dad. Being 15 minutes away, I could get home whenever I needed to, or he could come see me.
Â
"Once I sat down, talked with the coaches and saw what they envisioned for me, Lehigh was a perfect fit," Parris continued.
Â
Josh has excelled on and off the field in college. He currently owns a 3.23 cumulative GPA in Biology, has been named to the Dean's List and the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, and is looked up to by his younger teammates.
Â
"I take a lot of pride in my academics," said Parris. "Lehigh is not an easy school by any means. It's definitely a blessing to be here. That competitive nature you see on the field carries over into the classroom, where I want to be one of the better students. I'm not satisfied with just getting a passing grade."
Â
Josh values his opportunity to be a true student-athlete. That opportunity was something he reminded his teammates about following some tough losses this season.
Â
"When things weren't going well, I took it upon myself to be that voice saying hey, we still have a lot to play for," said Parris. "My goal was to refocus the team and have them understand why we play the game, beyond the wins and losses. You play because you love the game and you love to be around your brothers.
Â
"I have a hard time believing that I'd be at this institution if it wasn't for football," Parris continued. "I wanted to remind my teammates of the opportunities football has provided them, so don't give up and don't quit."
Â
This season was challenging for the Mountain Hawks, especially for someone like Parris who only knew success. As a freshman, Josh made the travel squad for a Lehigh team that won the Patriot League Championship and advanced to the National Quarterfinals. The Mountain Hawks again played for league titles in 2012 and 2013. Individually, Parris had 15 catches for 296 yards as a sophomore then 41 receptions for 443 yards as a junior. He reached career highs in both receptions (55) and receiving yards (635) this past season.
Â
Someone's character is often most shown in adversity. The way Parris led the Mountain Hawks through tough times is a sign of a high-character individual. He's a model example of the type student-athlete Lehigh looks to cultivate.
Â
"Being a leader isn't as easy as it looks," said Parris. "There were definitely times during the season, especially in the beginning, when I didn't even know what I got myself into. I always wanted to be a captain, but once you're a captain, you feel the weight of playing at a high level every time you're out there while also needing to take the temperature of the team and be that voice of optimism when things aren't going well."
Â
"I was really impressed with how Josh developed as a captain throughout the season," said Lehigh head coach Andy Coen. "It's great to see kids not only develop as young men and athletes, but also begin to understand leadership and understand the role they can play as team leaders."
Â
Parris has developed as a leader through the Lehigh Athletics leadership programs, which includes valuable opportunities to learn from his peers.
Â
"Discussion and understanding of how other captains lead their teams has helped me mix and match styles," said Parris. "The leadership programs have helped me discover my capabilities and who I am as a leader."
Â
"Josh knows how to lead in the aspect of still knowing that he's a player, knowing that he's one of us," said sophomore defensive back Brandon Leaks. "He doesn't try to be our coach, but he tries to guide us in the right direction, pick us up as a team and tell us we need to stay together."
Â
On the field, Parris set the bar high for his teammates and always keeps their best interests in mind.
Â
"I wanted the freshmen to experience winning and help them have a great transition to college football. When that wasn't happening, I thought about how I could keep them enthusiastic about the team and enthusiastic about coming out to practice," said Josh. "It was easy for me since this is my last year. I enjoyed every opportunity being out on the field. I really took it upon myself to keep the younger guys interested and keep their love for football up."
Â
Leaks is one example of a younger player who Parris has pushed and helped improve.
Â
"As a defensive back, Josh would really challenge me to get off blocks in block destruction drills," said Leaks. "It's helped me as a player because when I get in the game, I've been able to do different things. Josh always went 100 percent and that's what helps the team in the end."
Â
Parris has continued to set the bar high off the field as well. He hopes to continue his schooling after this school year, looking to work towards a PhD in an area like molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology or immunology.Â
Â
"Right now, I'm looking for assistant research positions in labs," said Parris, who is potentially eying a career in pathogen research or cancer research. "Lehigh has helped shape my career path with the opportunities I've had at Iacocca Hall. I've been in Dr. Bryan Berger's lab for the past year. I have really enjoyed the research that we've been doing as a team."
Â
Josh has high aspirations in everything he does. One day, he may help cure cancer, but for now, he is enjoying every opportunity at Lehigh University, a school that's become his second home. Lehigh is where he attended several football games as a youngster, Lehigh's interest in Parris helped foster a love for the sport of football and last Saturday, Parris represented Lehigh on a stage unlike any other.
Â
"Once I realized that I was good enough to play and compete with these other players, that's when football started getting really fun and my love really took off," said Parris. "As the years progressed, my love continued to increase."
Â
Parris' senior-year game vs. Lafayette was only a dream when he did the math and realized the 150th meeting was quickly approaching. That dream became a reality. It was a well-deserved reward for a tremendous player, but even better student, leader and person.
Â
Â
"When I was a freshman, I didn't realize that my senior year would be the 150th game against Lafayette, but then I started to do the math," he said.
Â
Josh is a bright and perceptive individual who's often one step ahead of the game. This was no different. Before the schools announced that the 150th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry would be played at Yankee Stadium, Parris was hopeful the schools would do something special.
Â
He never expected something so big.
Â
"I'll be able to share this moment with family and friends for as long as I live," said Parris. "I played where Jeter played, in front of more than 50,000 people in Yankee Stadium."
 A local product out of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, Parris' path took him from the hills of Goodman Stadium as a little kid to Lehigh football's biggest stage, playing his final college football game in front of a sold-out Yankee Stadium. In between, Parris would have never imagined playing football, never mind being a captain at a perennial power like Lehigh.
Â
Parris was a multi-sport athlete in high school and always hoped to play basketball in college.
Â
"My first love for sports was basketball, but I stuck with it and decided to play football my freshman year of high school," he said. "My coach moved me to wide receiver my junior year. I had a couple good games when college coaches were looking at other players. That's when things started progressing and it hit me that I could play football in college."
Â
While Parris was excelling in multiple sports, he was impressing in the classroom as well. Growing up, his father and late mother relayed a consistent message to him.
Â
"My parents stressed that football is a privilege, not a right," said Josh. "If you don't do well in the classroom, you won't be able to play. Don't expect us to get you on the field if you can't play because of academic reasons. We're not going to help you out.
Â
"That message continued to stick with me and was something I thought about a lot."
Â
Lehigh is a perfect fit for Parris because of his skills on the football field and most importantly, his mindset as an all-around student-athlete. However, going into the recruiting process, Lehigh was one of the last places he wanted to attend.
Â
"To be quite honest, I didn't really have a high interest in Lehigh, being so close to home," said Parris. "My ideal college was somewhere far away, but not too far away. The Lehigh coaching staff kept showing interest. They came to a lot of my basketball games, showing their support. Once the other schools dwindled away, Lehigh was right there."
Â
Ultimately, Parris realized that Lehigh featured several more advantages than drawbacks. Family was at the top of the list.
Â
"One benefit was that my father would be able to come to a lot of my games and I could be closer to him," said Josh. "My mother passed away when I was in high school, so I didn't want to go too far from my dad. Being 15 minutes away, I could get home whenever I needed to, or he could come see me.
Â
"Once I sat down, talked with the coaches and saw what they envisioned for me, Lehigh was a perfect fit," Parris continued.
Â
Josh has excelled on and off the field in college. He currently owns a 3.23 cumulative GPA in Biology, has been named to the Dean's List and the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, and is looked up to by his younger teammates.
Â
"I take a lot of pride in my academics," said Parris. "Lehigh is not an easy school by any means. It's definitely a blessing to be here. That competitive nature you see on the field carries over into the classroom, where I want to be one of the better students. I'm not satisfied with just getting a passing grade."
Â
Josh values his opportunity to be a true student-athlete. That opportunity was something he reminded his teammates about following some tough losses this season.
Â
"When things weren't going well, I took it upon myself to be that voice saying hey, we still have a lot to play for," said Parris. "My goal was to refocus the team and have them understand why we play the game, beyond the wins and losses. You play because you love the game and you love to be around your brothers.
Â
"I have a hard time believing that I'd be at this institution if it wasn't for football," Parris continued. "I wanted to remind my teammates of the opportunities football has provided them, so don't give up and don't quit."
Â
This season was challenging for the Mountain Hawks, especially for someone like Parris who only knew success. As a freshman, Josh made the travel squad for a Lehigh team that won the Patriot League Championship and advanced to the National Quarterfinals. The Mountain Hawks again played for league titles in 2012 and 2013. Individually, Parris had 15 catches for 296 yards as a sophomore then 41 receptions for 443 yards as a junior. He reached career highs in both receptions (55) and receiving yards (635) this past season.
Â
Someone's character is often most shown in adversity. The way Parris led the Mountain Hawks through tough times is a sign of a high-character individual. He's a model example of the type student-athlete Lehigh looks to cultivate.
Â
"Being a leader isn't as easy as it looks," said Parris. "There were definitely times during the season, especially in the beginning, when I didn't even know what I got myself into. I always wanted to be a captain, but once you're a captain, you feel the weight of playing at a high level every time you're out there while also needing to take the temperature of the team and be that voice of optimism when things aren't going well."
Â
"I was really impressed with how Josh developed as a captain throughout the season," said Lehigh head coach Andy Coen. "It's great to see kids not only develop as young men and athletes, but also begin to understand leadership and understand the role they can play as team leaders."
Â
Parris has developed as a leader through the Lehigh Athletics leadership programs, which includes valuable opportunities to learn from his peers.
Â
"Discussion and understanding of how other captains lead their teams has helped me mix and match styles," said Parris. "The leadership programs have helped me discover my capabilities and who I am as a leader."
Â
"Josh knows how to lead in the aspect of still knowing that he's a player, knowing that he's one of us," said sophomore defensive back Brandon Leaks. "He doesn't try to be our coach, but he tries to guide us in the right direction, pick us up as a team and tell us we need to stay together."
Â
On the field, Parris set the bar high for his teammates and always keeps their best interests in mind.
 "I wanted the freshmen to experience winning and help them have a great transition to college football. When that wasn't happening, I thought about how I could keep them enthusiastic about the team and enthusiastic about coming out to practice," said Josh. "It was easy for me since this is my last year. I enjoyed every opportunity being out on the field. I really took it upon myself to keep the younger guys interested and keep their love for football up."
Â
Leaks is one example of a younger player who Parris has pushed and helped improve.
Â
"As a defensive back, Josh would really challenge me to get off blocks in block destruction drills," said Leaks. "It's helped me as a player because when I get in the game, I've been able to do different things. Josh always went 100 percent and that's what helps the team in the end."
Â
Parris has continued to set the bar high off the field as well. He hopes to continue his schooling after this school year, looking to work towards a PhD in an area like molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology or immunology.Â
Â
"Right now, I'm looking for assistant research positions in labs," said Parris, who is potentially eying a career in pathogen research or cancer research. "Lehigh has helped shape my career path with the opportunities I've had at Iacocca Hall. I've been in Dr. Bryan Berger's lab for the past year. I have really enjoyed the research that we've been doing as a team."
Â
Josh has high aspirations in everything he does. One day, he may help cure cancer, but for now, he is enjoying every opportunity at Lehigh University, a school that's become his second home. Lehigh is where he attended several football games as a youngster, Lehigh's interest in Parris helped foster a love for the sport of football and last Saturday, Parris represented Lehigh on a stage unlike any other.
Â
"Once I realized that I was good enough to play and compete with these other players, that's when football started getting really fun and my love really took off," said Parris. "As the years progressed, my love continued to increase."
Â
Parris' senior-year game vs. Lafayette was only a dream when he did the math and realized the 150th meeting was quickly approaching. That dream became a reality. It was a well-deserved reward for a tremendous player, but even better student, leader and person.
Â
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