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Chicago Bears confirm passing of former Penn State star, record-holding punter
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Penn State lost a member of its football family over the weekend with the passing of Bob Parsons, a former quarterback and tight end for the Nittany Lions in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Parsons was 72 at the time of his passing on Friday.
We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Bear, Bob Parsons. Our thoughts are with his family & loved ones during this time.https://t.co/fGA3mu2q46
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 12, 2022
Parsons originally joined Penn State as a quarterback and threw for 394 yards and 3 touchdowns from 1969-70. During the 1971 season, Parsons switched to 1971 and recorded 30 catches for 489 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also rushed for nearly 200 yards across his career.
Parsons was a member of the 1969 Penn State squad that went 11-0 with a win over Missouri in the Orange Bowl. He led the team in receiving in 1971 and was a part of a team that went 29-4 from 1969-71.
Once in the NFL, Parsons was the primary punter for the Chicago Bears from 1972-83. He holds the franchise record for career punts with 884 and still holds the NFL record for punts in a season with 114 during the 1981 season.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.