Johnnie Parker Took Ralphie Program To New Level

BOULDER — If you know college football, you know Ralphie. Colorado's famed live buffalo is one of the most-recognized and most-celebrated mascots in the nation.

But what you might not know is the name of the man who took Ralphie from a well-known regional "secret" to a nationally known brand that has more than once been named as the best mascot in college sports.

It all came about through the work, dedication, and passion of the late Johnnie Parker, who took the Ralphie reins in 1985 and elevated her into a college football icon.

Parker, a 1962 CU grad, passed away on Dec. 11 at the age of 83.

"We asked him to take over and he just took off with it," said former CU Athletic Director Bill Marolt, who entrusted the program to Parker's care. "He made it a great program. It was one of those friendships that was just such a great part of that era. He really immersed himself in the program and made it something special."

Parker and his wife, Shaaron, had been intimately involved with CU Athletics prior to 1985. They became football scholarship donors in 1983 and at different junctures supported as many as three scholarships at once.

But when the need for someone to head the Ralphie program arose, the Parkers created a home for her on their ranch near Hudson, Colo.

"He embraced everything about CU Athletics," said former CU Director of Development Ron Scott. "When he got involved, our football program was not good. We won 14 games in a six-year span. But he jumped in and supported us when things were tough. That's the kind of guy he was, just a true Colorado Buffalo."

Indeed, said Shaaron Parker (also a CU grad), Johnnie Parker wasn't the kind of guy who simply wanted a seat on a successful bandwagon.

"He loved a challenge," Shaaron said. "He also loved CU and the tradition of Ralphie. It was really important to him. When he took over, there wasn't a lot of money to support it. He went out and got donations, made sure she had a nice place to stay and was well-fed. He is one of the main reasons the program became a big deal."

Indeed, Ralphie's success and growth in fame moved in tandem with the rising success of the football program under Bill McCartney's guidance. As the Buffs began earning bowl berths, Ralphie accompanied them — meaning CU's mascot traveled from the West Coast (Freedom Bowl in Anaheim, Calif.) to the East Coast (Orange Bowl) and points in between.

All told, Parker helped plan the logistics for Ralphie to make nine bowl appearances.

Of course, such cross-country trips required special planning, including getting checkups and traveling "papers" from veterinarians in every state she visited.

"It was just another one of those challenges Johnnie loved," Shaaron said. "She had to clear inspection with all the veterinarians, and Johnnie knew how those things work."

And, there were other important issues to be addressed.

For instance, the weather in Florida — even in winter — can be much warmer and more humid than the Colorado weather to which Ralphie was accustomed.

"He and the handlers figured out how to cool her off in Florida," Shaaron said with a laugh. "They took her to a car wash, set up her pen and then used the cold water to give her a bath. She loved it."

Ralphie's bowl appearances also meant national media exposure. Television stations and newspapers made it a point to provide coverage of Ralphie and her famous stadium runs.

In 1989, Ralphie III's first trip to the Orange Bowl, a Florida Sun-Sentinel reporter wrote, "Forget the ferocious bengal from Louisiana State. Baylor's bear is kids' stuff in comparison with Ralphie. And Bevo, the longhorn from Texas, is but a boring bump on the comparative mascot log."

"We've played teams with animal mascots, but all theirs do is stand in there," Parker told the newspaper. "We do things with Ralphie."

Parker's career as director of the Ralphie program actually covered three mascots: Ralphie II, Ralphie III and Ralphie IV. He provided accommodations for each at his ranch in Hudson — a location kept secret from all but a select few.

After all, Parker knew the history. He knew that Air Force cadets had "bison-napped" CU's mascot in 1970, and he knew some rabid Oklahoma State fans found her location in the mid-1970s and painted "OSU" on her flanks.

Such incidents never occurred under his watch.

"Very few outside the program knew where she was," Shaaron said with a chuckle. "He kept her location a bit of a secret."

Parker also took great pride in improving the handlers program. He selected each of the handlers, taught them how to run with her and made sure each of them was in excellent physical condition. It was important that each knew how to handle themselves around a 1,200-pound buffalo and would be a solid representative of the university.

In 1994, he also brought on board the first female handler in program history, Anne Griggs, and he instituted the tradition of awarding CU letter jackets to each of the handlers.

"A lot of the handlers stayed in touch with us over the years, long after they graduated," Shaaron said. "They became good friends and you knew they really enjoyed the job of being a handler. They knew Johnnie took the tradition seriously and they did too."

While Parker oversaw three Ralphies, it was Ralphie III that had the longest run during his tenure. Ralphie III made her debut at Folsom Field in 1987 and ran through the 1997 season. She led the Buffs onto the field 73 times in her career, including 62 home games, eight bowl games, two games in Fort Collins and one in Stillwater, Okla.

"She was named Tequila soon after she began her initial training," Shaaron said. "She had a feisty personality, just like tequila."

There were plenty of advancements in the program during Parker's 14-year tenure. In 1991, Ted Davis joined the program as a coach. In 1994, Gail Pederson began helping oversee logistics and scheduling; and in 1992, a customized trailer for her transport was acquired.

Parker stepped away from the program after the 1999 season, but the improvements, tradition and passion he stamped on the program have continued to grow over the last two decades. He and Shaaron also stayed involved with CU Athletics.

Now, Ralphie is arguably the most well-known and almost certainly the most-active mascot in the college game.

Scott McMichael, Assistant AD/Director of Development for the CU Foundation, worked with the Parkers through the years and quickly came to appreciate their love of CU and their passion for the Buffaloes.

"It has been a real pleasure getting to know the Parkers during my time with CU Athletics," McMichael said. "Johnnie's dedication and commitment to the Ralphie Program during the early years gave the storied program both vitality and a solid foundation. Along with their Ralphie involvement, John and Shaaron were longtime football Scholarship Donors and season ticket holders. A loyal Buff to the very end — Johnnie you will be missed!"

Anyone interested in learning more about the Ralphie Program is encouraged to contact Scott McMichael (scott.mcmichael@colorado.edu) or the CU Buff Club (cubuffclub.com).

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