Billy Parks, a Santa Monica College star who later played in the National Football League, died last week at 61.
Parks played quarterback at Culver City High in the mid-1960s but converted to receiver at SMC. He went on to become an All-American at Long Beach State and was the San Diego Chargers’ sixth round pick in 1970. He played five seasons in the NFL for three teams.
As a Chargers rookie he had 41 catches for 609 yards.
Parks died in Hawaii from an aggressive case of melanoma.