Jacksonville Jaguars safety Ricky Parker was named Defensive Player of the Week for his play in last weekend's action of the NFL Europe League.
Parker returned a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter that proved to be the winning score in the Amsterdam Admirals' 20-17 win over Barcelona.. In addition to the score, Parker led the Admirals with six tackles, four passes defensed and two special teams tackles.
"I'm happy the win keeps us in the World Bowl race," said Parker, one of two Jaguars allocated to the NFL Europe League. "We want to get to that desperately and reward the fans that have supported us throughout the season."
The Jaguars' Malcolm Thomas, a graduate of Jacksonville's Paxon High School, suffered a sprained ankle and was held to just three carries for eight yards in the game. After limited play each of the last two games, Thomas now ranks second in the league in rushing with 575 yards on 124 carries (4.6 average) and three touchdowns. He is also second in the league with 698 total yards from scrimmage. Thomas spent the 1997 NFL season on the Jaguars' practice squad.
The action occurred in the eighth week of NFL Europe play. The Admirals have a 5-3 record and are tied for second place in the league. They lead the NFL Europe League in both total offense and total defense.
