University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
FROM HATTIESBURG TO HAMBURG
5/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
May 31, 2007
This is Jeremy Parquet, signing in. It is 9 p.m. and I'm getting back from a flag football tournament here in Hamburg, Germany. It was a cool experience with a whole bunch of older guys between the ages of 25-35 or so. It's different to see that because football is not the number one sport here. So as far as being well-skilled in football - they weren't that. It was kind of crazy seeing those kinds trying to tackle each other or make some moves out there, and they nearly killed each other a few times, but it was a good experience. The number one sport over here in Germany is soccer, so I bet if one of those guys played against me in soccer it would be all over for me in that sport!
On a sad note, I want to send my condolences to the Hill family. My friend Marquise Hill passed away the other day. It's a sad story and all of my prayers go out to his family and friends.
Last week we had a game against the Berlin Thunder. The Thunder came over here to Hamburg and the first half was kind of shaky. We were down at halftime, 7-3, and I was frustrated and I was talking trash to this defensive end that they had and he was trying to talk trash to me, but I wasn't having it because he isn't big enough. It was all fun though.
So we came back in the second half fired up and the final score was 17-7. We're building our ego and momentum back up for this week here where we're playing at Cologne against (former Southern Miss defensive tackle) Tom Johnson and his team the Centurions, who I want to say are the number one team in the league right now. If we go up there and do our thing and beat them then we should be on our way to the World Bowl.
We play them at Cologne this Saturday and then the Frankfurt Galaxy come to Hamburg the following Saturday. It's certain that if we win these next two games we'll be in the World Bowl playing for the championship trying to make it happen.
So the food over here is still bad, but I'm not worried about it because within a month's time I'll be back at home eating my momma's etouffe - which is the best etouffe in the world - and I'm excited about that. I haven't had a good meal in the last two months, but it's alright. The crazy part about that is that I haven't had anything good to eat but I'm still three hundred and - I'm not going to say the rest, I'm still big! Training camp starts July 27 in St. Louis, so by then I'll be back to 325 or 320 and slim!
That was it, and if y'all get a chance pray for Marquise Hill and his family. When I first heard about it, it shook me. I knew him, but we weren't really that cool. But I remember the night before I ran a 40-yard line dash, George Batiste called me and had him on the phone and he told me that no matter what I did, don't worry about my 40 because it's going to be slow! But other than that, I didn't really know him but he grew up in New Orleans and I grew up in the outskirts of New Orleans and I graduated in 2000 from high school and he graduated in 2001. It's just sad to see one of my fellow NFL-mates just die like that.
That's it though. The game is being played on Saturday, June 2 and will be on TV live on DirectTV (12 p.m., EST) and replayed on Sunday, June 3 at 10 a.m. (EST). So if you get a chance check me out - number 73, right tackle.
Y'all be cool.
~Jeremy
