Former K-State football star Jacob Parrish recounts his top moments from NFL Combine
Jacob Parrish was understandably full of confidence after he proved he was among the 10 fastest football players at the NFL Scouting Combine last weekend in Indianapolis.
Maybe he was nervous about conducting potentially life-changing interviews with professional coaches and general managers as he prepared for the prestigious event. But he was ready for anything after he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds.
Well, almost anything.
“One person asked me, ‘How would you describe the color purple to a blind person?’ Parrish said. “I needed some time to think about that one.”
Fortunately, Parrish is as qualified as any other NFL Draft hopeful to answer questions about the color purple because of his successful three-year stint with the Kansas State Wildcats.
The NFL scout who asked Parrish that question told him he could take a few days to come up with an answer and then share it the next time they meet. Turns out, plenty of NFL teams are interested in visiting with Parrish again after the show of athleticism he put on at Lucas Oil Stadium.
A 5-foot-10 and 191-pound cornerback who made 108 tackles and broke up 19 passes for the Wildcats, he ran the ninth fastest time of any competitor at the 40-yard dash. His time of 4.35 seconds wasn’t that far off the lead time of 4.28 seconds posted by Kentucky corner Maxwell Hairston.
Parrish also posted a 10-yard split of 1.51 and a vertical jump of 37.5 inches. Before his day was done, he completed 12 reps on the bench press. His athleticism score came in at 90 (out of 100) at NFL.com.
But it was his speed that had NFL scouts buzzing.
“I proved how much overall athleticism I have,” Parrish said. “I feel like scouts had some doubt about my athleticism and my speed. They didn’t really think I had the speed to play at the next level. But I think I proved that I do when I ran the 40.”
Parrish said he was aiming for a time of 4.3 seconds. He felt like he could have run even faster, but he was happy with the results.
After he was done running, jumping and lifting it was time for him to meet with teams.
That was an eye-opening experience.
“I talked to most of the teams, but it was never with just one coach or one scout,” Parrish said. “I would go in a room and there would be the head coach, the GM and maybe 15 other personnel people. I was the only player in there. It was a big audience. I wasn’t really expecting that.”
But he settled in as they asked him to review his college film.
“They pulled up clips from my junior season and wanted to see how I talked about ball,” Parrish said. “They wanted to know if I memorized the plays and what I could explain to them about our scheme and other stuff during my time at K-State. It was fun looking back at the plays I made. It was a cool little experience.”
Parrish roomed with former K-State defensive back Marques Sigle while he was in Indy, and they were both able to catch up with running back DJ Giddens as they all competed in the NFL Combine.
All three of them put up impressive numbers, which made it an even more fulfilling weekend for Parrish.
“I feel like we all did amazing,” Parrish said.
Parrish certainly helped his professional stock since he declared for the NFL Draft. The Olathe native was viewed as a mid-or-late-round pick when he left K-State. But he can hope for the early rounds now that he has performed well at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
Next up for him is another athletic performance at Big 12 Pro Day, where he plans to perform in defensive back drills and run the three-cone drill.
Even more NFL teams will surely want to speak with him after that event is over. Perhaps by then he will know how to describe the color purple to a blind person.
This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Former K-State football star Jacob Parrish recounts his top moments from NFL Combine."