Three Cardinal Heading To NFLThree Cardinal Heading To NFL
Jim Shorin/Stanford Athletics
Football

Three Cardinal Heading To NFL

Colby Parkinson, Casey Toohill and Cameron Scarlett were given their chance in the NFL over the weekend. Parkinson was drafted in the fourth round by the Seattle Seahawks, Toohill the seventh round by the Philadelphia Eagles and Scarlett signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent following the draft.

Over the last six drafts, Stanford has had 24 players selected and numerous more get a shot. In 11 consecutive drafts multiple Cardinal have been taken in the draft, while at least one offensive and one defensive player have been selected in seven straight drafts.

Colby Parkinson
Tight End
Simi Valley, Calif.
Round: 4 | Pick: 133 | Seattle Seahawks
 

Colby Parkinson was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 133rd overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks. A tight end from Simi Valley, Calif., Parkinson is the eighth Cardinal tight end drafted since 2010, the most in the country during that time. He is the first Cardinal drafted by the Seahawks since Richard Sherman was taken in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, and the fifth all-time (Sherman, 2011; Carl Hansen, 1998; Dave Wyman, 1987; and Andre Hines, 1980).
 
"Colby Parkinson is a size and athletic mismatch," Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. "He makes big plays down the field and in the red zone. He will be a great addition in Brian Schottenheimer's offense and a great weapon for Russell Wilson!"
 
Parkinson, a 2019 team captain, was named All-Pac-12 twice in his career and was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award as a junior. During his three seasons on The Farm, Parkinson played in 39 games with 21 starts. During his career he had 87 catches for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns.
 
"It's always fun to see all of the hard work pay off, and I'm proud to see Colby achieve his dream with the Seahawks," tight ends coach Morgan Turner said. "I can't wait to see him continue to be completely dedicated to his craft, put in the necessary work to be successful and play on Sundays. He will use his size to his advantage in the pass game and will make plays when called upon. Most important, he has great character and will be a great addition to the Seahawks' locker room."
 
Parkinson started all 12 games for the Cardinal in 2019, amassing 48 receptions for 589 yards and one touchdown. He also had a passing touchdown to Davis Mills in a win at Oregon State, becoming the first non-QB at Stanford since Christian McCaffrey in 2015 to throw for and catch a touchdown in the same game. More impressively, Parkinson did not have a drop in over 80 targets throughout the season.
 
As a sophomore, Parkinson proved to be a red zone threat, catching 29 passes for 485 yards and seven touchdowns – four of which came in a school-record-tying performance against Oregon State. As a freshman in 2017, Parkinson had four touchdown grabs on 10 receptions.
 
Casey Toohill
Outside Linebacker
San Diego, Calif.
Round: 7 | Pick: 233 | Philadelphia Eagles
 

Casey Toohill was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 233rd pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. An outside linebacker/edge from San Diego, Calif., Toohill joins Cardinal Zach Ertz, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Nate Herbig on the Eagles roster.
 
Toohill, a 2019 team captain, was a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy as part of the National Football Foundation's National Scholar-Athlete Class of 2019. Three times in his career he was named Pac-12 All-Academic and was All-Pac-12 second team in 2019.
 
"Casey Toohill is a long, physical athlete," Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. "He showed everyone at the combine how explosive he can be and I know he's got a great chance to help the Eagles!"
 
A 12-game starter for the Cardinal in 2019, Toohill played in 46 career games. He amassed 132 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in his career. He also added one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two blocked kicks and four passes defended.
 
"I'm so excited for Casey to get his chance with Philadelphia," Willie Shaw Director of Defense Lance Anderson said. "From attending our summer football camp, earning a scholarship and then going through the recruiting process, Casey has worked hard to get where he is today. His versatility and overall athleticism will allow him to excel on both defense and special teams for the Eagles."
 
Toohill's best season came this past year, when he finished with 60 tackles while leading Stanford with 11.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Toohill's eight sacks were fifth-most in the Pac-12 while his 11.5 tackles for loss were the seventh-most. He was honored with two of Stanford's highest team awards following the season – the Al Masters Award and Tommy Vardell Award.
 
Cameron Scarlett
Running Back
Portland, Ore.
Undrafted Free Agent | Tennessee Titans
 

Cameron Scarlett signed a free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans following the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday night. A running back from Portland, Oregon, Scarlett joins his brother Brennan, a member of the Houston Texans, in the NFL.
 
Scarlett rushed for 1,676 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career, finishing 18th in total rushing yards and eighth in career rushing touchdowns. He also added 41 receptions for 523 yards and a touchdown during his time on The Farm, while proving to be a prolific kick returner with 67 returns for 1,613 yards.
 
2019 was Scarlett's most productive season, as he was a team captain and started all 12 games. He totaled 840 rushing yards to go along with 240 receiving yards. Scarlett led the Cardinal with seven rushing touchdowns. While Scarlett didn't return kicks in 2019, he combined for 63 kick returns for 1,574 yards during his sophomore and junior seasons.