Forget about getting three strikes, because a former scholarship player at Auburn only received two before hitting a point of no return with the defending SEC champions. This spring Ricky Parks was attempting to walk on to the team he once had a scholarship from, but his return will not result in a roster spot at Auburn this fall.
“He will not be back,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said Tuesday, according to AL.com.
Per the Al.com report, Parks had a scholarship from Auburn in 2012 but was removed from the team last August for an undisclosed violation of team rules. The dismissal led Parks to continue his football playing at Northeast Mississippi Community College, where he caught six passes for 59 yards and a pair of touchdowns last fall. Parks had hoped a year away would help him make a push for a second chance at Auburn, which Malzahn was willing to give this past spring. Judging by the reports, Parks was unable to prove himself worthy of a roster spot as a walk-on, and now the two will go separate ways.
Where Parks goes from here remains unknown. Parks was a four-star tight end recruit in the Class of 2012 according to Rivals. The Georgia native chose Auburn over Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, South Carolina and USC, among others.