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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED OLUME 26, ISSUE 5 19 and personalities. But he was devout and never forgot who he was. Never." Parker's funeral was truly a celebration of a life too short but well lived. The proceedings were long, but from all accounts, captured the essence of the man. "This may sound crazy, but it was three hours long, and I didn't want it to end," said Satterfield, who was one of the honorary pallbearers, along with Carroll and Jordan. "I will never forget it." Sanders, an NFL Hall of Famer, might have had the most emotional moment of the funeral. "It sent chills down my spine when Sanders looked at Eugene's wife June (of 37 years) and then pointed to all the superstar athletes in the audience that Eugene rep- resented and instructed them, 'Don't allow her to ever want for anything,' " Kendrick said. "It was so powerful that Deion, a man known for his flamboyance, could be humbled by the presence of Eugene. "People often say things in death and some of it's not true. But with Eugene, it was all true." Sanders talked about how Parker, like any negotiator, liked to have leverage and how he would quietly, almost with a Cheshire cat smile, press his clients to keep that leverage for the next negotiation. Painter said the fact he cultivated superstar clients made Parker extra remarkable. "It was much more than the athlete and client, he made those guys his family," Painter said. "It was amazing reading what his clients said about him. That stands out." Parker was smart enough to know how to play the game of negotiation but grounded enough to have the courage to go about it differently than anyone else. He leaves behind a family of four, including two sons who were walk-ons for Purdue's highest-profile pro- grams, Austin at quarterback and Geno a guard who battled injury playing for Painter. Roosevelt Barnes, who was Parker's first client and remains the most senior partner in Parker's agency Relativity Sports Football, will march on. As will all his Boilermaker teammates. "This will be difficult and remain that way," Carroll said when reflecting a week after the funeral. "It will always be that way. "He was consistently a remarkable man, but our hearts are broken." j For daily headlines on recruiting and other Purdue sports news, check out