With assist from Rob Gronkowski, Texas Tech surprises walk-on with scholarship (Video)

Sam Cooper
·College football writer
Texas Tech’s Justus Parker (31) leads the team with four interceptions. Formerly a walk-on, Parker is now on scholarship. (Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune Herald, via AP)
Texas Tech’s Justus Parker (31) leads the team with four interceptions. Formerly a walk-on, Parker is now on scholarship. (Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune Herald, via AP)

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury enlisted the help of Red Raiders great Danny Amendola to break some special news to one of his players.

Amendola, in his fifth season as a receiver for the New England Patriots, sent along a video message to TTU defensive back Justus Parker after New England’s dramatic win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. And the video featured a special guest: star tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Amendola and Gronkowski were the ones to let Parker know he is now on a full scholarship. Parker definitely earned it, too. In his first season of action after transferring from Division III Texas Lutheran (he redshirted in 2016), Parker enters bowl play with 42 tackles, six tackles for loss and a team-leading four interceptions. As a result, the redshirt sophomore earned second-team All-Big 12 honors by the league’s coaches.

Parker’s interception in the fourth quarter of the regular season finale against Texas helped clinch a bowl berth for the Red Raiders, who finished the regular season with a 6-6 record. After the win, Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt told reporters Kingsbury would return in 2018.

(via Fox)
(via Fox)

The Red Raiders finish up their season against South Florida in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 23.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!