Coach Parker: An Angel Gives Young Detroit Football Player a Second Chance

Coach Parker: An Angel Gives Young Detroit Football Player a Second Chance

digitalsportsnews | November 11, 2014
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Most teenagers’ lives revolve around friends, school, and anything that’s trending. They do not worry about where they are going to sleep or when they are going to eat next. Sadly, there are over 1.5 million young people who are homeless in the United States – one of them being Angelo Whittis. Angelo is from Detroit, a city that has been particularly hard hit by the recession. Whittis was born into a broken home and grew up never feeling the love and care of family. He was forced to depend on himself. Angelo’s mother was in an out of prison, while he never knew his father. As the boy entered his teenaged years, he was bounced from family member to family member, never making settlement in one place. Both his Grandmother and Uncle battled with alcoholism, which often left the teen victim to their outbursts. When he could not find a friend’s house or car to sleep in, he sought refuge in the streets. After his sophomore year at Melvindale, Whittis knew he had to make a change for the better. He switched schools and ended up at River Rouge, where he met Coach Parker. Corey Parker is the head football coach at River Rouge High School, located in a gritty, industrial town on the outskirts of Detroit. Whittis became involved in football as an after-school activity to keep himself busy. Coach Parker would drop Whittis off at different locations after practice and soon realized that the boy didn't have a regular place to sleep. After the nod of approval from his Wife, Coach Parker opened his home to Whittis, not as a tenant, but as a son. Parker welcomed Angelo into his home and immediately stepped into the father role, helping to bring his grades up and train for football. Over the summer months, Angelo built himself up, gaining 30 pounds of muscle and becoming a fierce quarterback, a true asset to the team. Whittis helped lead River Rouge to its first District Title. Not only is he the star quarterback, but he works with other teammates to help boost their grades – he is even on the honor roll! Although Parker and his wife, Autumn, did not legally adopt Whittis (he was 18 at the time), he became the third member of their family. Soon after, a fourth was on the way with the recent addition of Corey Parker Jr. When Parker and his wife, Autumn, took Whittis in — there wasn't a legal adoption because he is 18 — they became a three-person home. Today, with the recent addition of Corey Parker Jr., they are a family of four. A boy who went from a broken family and unstable homes now feels the love from the Parkers that he has missed out on for so long -- He even considers himself a big brother to baby Parker. “It meant a lot to me, I finally felt like I was somebody. For him to take me in not knowing me from anybody… it was a blessing,” said Whittis. He has transformed from a troubled youth involved in a life of crime to an awe inspiring image of hope. “Anybody who can go through what this kid has gone through in one lifetime, and still find a way to get up again and again after being repeatedly knocked down… well, I think they are amazing,” said Coach Parker. Whittis will be college bound soon, but is unsure which school he will attend. Although it will be hard on the Parker’s to see him leave, it will be a great experience for him. "He's such a big baby that I expect him to be calling me every day to complain about stuff in the dorms and stuff he can't afford to do,” Parker says. For once in his life he is just excited for his future, thanks to hard work and a second chance given to him by Coach Parker. Below is a highlight video of Angelo Whittis provided by River Rouge High School: