Hawkeyes defensive coordinator Norm Parker: Players haven't changed

I didn't have room for this in my weekend column on Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker, but I thought it was interesting.

Parker, 68, has coached since he was a young man. I asked him if college players were different from what they once were.

"No," he said. "The parents are."

I asked if he'd elaborate on the parents, but you don't stay in coaching for decades by being foolish, so he declined. About the players, though, he added this:

"To me, I think players are exactly the same (as people). They're unquestionably bigger, they're stronger, they're faster, and they're better than they ever were before.

"These kids, they consciously eat right. Probably very few of these kids will drink sodas. They train hard."

Parker said he loves being around the players, but will never enter the social media aspect of their world.

"You talk about Facebook and Twitter, I'm the last guy in the world ... I don't even know how to work the remote on my TV at home.

"My grandkids say 'Papa, you're a dinosaur.' "