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Aaron Parker, who caught his college passes less than 60 miles south of Gillette Stadium, recently paid the New England Patriots a visit.
Via FaceTime.
“I got on FaceTime with the Patriots probably about four days ago,” the former University of Rhode Island wide receiver told WPRI’s Yianni Kourakis on Tuesday. “Me and the wide receivers coach just talked about how I’m doing through these times, how I’m still training. He just wanted to break down some film of me, break down some coverages, just see how I’m doing, embracing the process. Stuff like that.”
Parker scored nine touchdowns as a senior while leading the Colonial Athletic Association with 81 receptions and 1,224 receiving yards.
The team captain finished his Rams stay with 216 career catches. His 3,460 yards and 30 touchdowns stand second and third, respectively, in Rhode Island’s receiving archives.
WATCH: staying in New England? @RhodyFootball receiver Aaron Parker spoke to the Patriots again last week ahead of this month’s NFL draft #Patriots #URI @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/qGidFZZFtG
— Yianni Kourakis (@YianniKourakis) April 7, 2020
As a junior the previous fall, Parker set a program receiving record by reaching the end zone in nine consecutive games. And last August, he and the Rhode Island football team made a trip to nearby Foxborough for Patriots training camp.
“I mean, it’s surreal to me. It’s a dream come true. When we went down there to the Patriots, it was a great experience,” Parker told Kourakis. “Just seeing a championship-contending team that’s always up there in the playoffs, playing for Super Bowls and stuff. Just seeing the way how they go about practicing, try to take some of those habits and take it to the field and do it yourself, because that’s what you want to be at the end of the day – a champion.”
The 6-foot-2, 209-pound Parker attended the NFL Scouting Combine in February alongside his cousin, teammate and fellow wideout, Isaiah Coulter.
Parker would run the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds and three-cone drill in 6.94 seconds while in Indianapolis. Since then, the projected late-round pick said he’s also had contact with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans.
The Patriots currently hold 12 selections in the 2020 NFL draft. Half of which are slotted between the sixth and seventh rounds.