Kyle Parker Turns Down The Money

21 Jul 2010

Kyle Parker looks to be returning as the starting quarterback at Clemson after negotiations with the Colorado Rockies broke down on Tuesday night.

Parker, who threw 20 touchdowns as a freshman last season, was a first-round pick in the MLB draft last month and had been in serious discussions with the team.

The news was a relief to Tigers coach Dabo Swinney, who would have turned to redshirt freshman Tajh Boyd if Parker had done the expected and signed a baseball-only contract with Colorado.

“We can move on and people can have some closure on it,” Swinney told the Independent Mail of Anderson, S.C. “People have been working extremely hard all summer, we’ve had excellent leadership, I think they’ve been focused. Outside looking in we’ve had an excellent summer and I don’t want to let this overshadow that in any regard.”

It is still possible for Parker change his mind. While he set a deadline of yesterday to reach a deal, Parker officially has until Aug. 15 to make a decision. It is possible the team could meet his demands – reportedly a $3 million signing bonus – and leave Clemson.

The other likely scenario is that he would agree only to a deal that allows him to play professional baseball in the summer and college football in the fall.