Jalen Parmele

Justin Alexander "Jalen" Parmele (born December 30, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Toledo Rockets. Jalen is now the owner of Parmele Post Rehab Exercise and Massage in Gilbert, Arizona.

Early life Parmele attended and played high school football for H. H. Dow High School in Midland, Michigan. He rushed for 705 yards as a sophomore, 1,253 yards as a junior, and 1,507 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior. He also received scholarship offers from Florida A&M, Western Michigan, and Eastern Michigan.

As a freshman in 2004, he rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. He appeared in 11 games the following season, rushing for 294 yards and three touchdowns.

Parmele broke out as a junior in 2006, rushing for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on his way to a first-team All-MAC selection. He also caught 16 passes for 128 yards on the season. He set a career-high with 173 rushing yards against Ball State, and his 92-yard run in that game was the second-longest in school history.

In 12 starts as a senior in 2007, Parmele rushed for a career-high 1,511 yards and 14 touchdowns on the way to his second consecutive first-team All-MAC selection. His rushing total that season ranked ninth in the nation and second in the conference behind only Kent State's Eugene Jarvis. He surpassed his previous career high with 241 rushing yards in a game against Ohio.

Parmele concluded his four-year collegiate career with 3,119 rushing yards on 589 carries (5.3 avg.) and 28 touchdowns.

Statistics Career statistics Rushing Receiving Year G Att Yds TD Lng Avg. Rec. Yds TD Lng Avg. 2004 9 42 183 3 21 4.4 4 24 0 15 6.0 2005 11 64 294 3 26 4.6 4 41 0 17 10.3 2006 12 207 1,131 8 92 5.5 16 128 0 25 8.0 2007 12 276 1,511 14 54 5.5 17 157 1 28 9.2 Total 44 589 3,119 28 92 5.3 41 350 1 28 8.5

Professional career

Pre-draft Prior to the 2008 NFL draft, Parmele participated in the NFL Scouting Combine and posted a 4.47-second 40-yard dash. At his Pro Day on February 28, he measured in at and . Shortly after the draft, Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland labeled Parmele the third running back on the depth chart and said he would also be a given a chance to return kickoffs. Parmele was re-signed to the team's practice squad the following day.

Baltimore Ravens Parmele was signed by the Baltimore Ravens off the Dolphins' practice squad on December 9, 2008. He made his NFL debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular season finale on December 28, rushing twice for 27 yards.

In his second season with the Ravens in 2009, he made a much bigger impact as he became the team's starting kick returner after rookie Lardarius Webb tore his ACL in Week 15. On only nine kick-off returns, Parmele racked up 283 yards for a 31.4 average with his longest return being 53 yards. He also added five carries for 17 yards as the team's #4 runningback and six special teams tackles.

In 2010, Parmele did not rush once but continued his role as a backup returner.

Parmele was released by the Ravens during final cuts on September 3, 2011.

Jacksonville Jaguars Parmele was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars on May 1, 2012. He began the season as a special teams player, including returning kicks. When Maurice Jones-Drew and two other running backs were injured, Parmele became the starting running back. He played in the Jaguars first 11 games before incurring a partially torn groin on November 27. Parmele was placed on injured reserve and surgery ended his season with 40 carries for 143 yards, 3.6 yards per carry. He caught seven passes for 60 yards, for 8.6 yards per catch, and returned 10 kicks for 233 yards, a 23.3 yard average.

He became a free agent in 2013.

Tennessee Titans Parmele signed with the Tennessee Titans on May 8, 2013. He was released by the team on August 30, 2013.

Arizona Cardinals On May 27, 2014, Parmele signed with the Arizona Cardinals. He appeared in a Week 3 game for the Cardinals. He was released by the team on September 24, 2014.

Cleveland Browns Parmele was signed by the Cleveland Browns on August 3, 2015. On August 31, 2015, he was released by the team.