Norm is an animal

IOWA CITY -- Norm Parker doesn't deal well with vulnerability. He pretty much tells it to take a hike and throw the pity party somewhere else.

Iowa's defensive coordinator needed a little help to his perch at Friday's news conference. He grabbed Iowa sports information director Phil Haddy and said "one, two three" to negotiate the 10-or-so inch step up the platform.

Parker kept chatting the whole time.

"Like clockwork," Parker said. "Like a jaguar."

Vulnerability could've been Parker's crutch Friday. This was, after all, his first appearance before media since having his right foot amputated in September because of diabetic complications.

He entered the hospital on Sept. 10, just a day before the Hawkeyes took on Iowa State. He had the surgery about 10 days later. He spent most of the season thereafter in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics or in rehabilitation at Cedar Rapids' Mercy Hospital.

The 69-year-old waded into the action and helped somewhat with the defense in November, but his input was limited. He's since been back in the Hayden Friday Football Complex. He spent time in his office Friday checking out Missouri (10-2), Iowa's opponent for the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28.

Parker is back and he intends to stay, for 2011 and for however long he can.

"I really missed it," Parker said. "The first game I got to come to was the Michigan State game [Oct. 30]. I was sitting at that game up in the press box and thinking to yourself, 'This is really where I want to be. This is who I am, what I live for.'

"So, there's no question. My intentions next year is to be back, to be back stronger and healthier than ever."

That's where head coach Kirk Ferentz is, too. When asked if he could in any way quantify Parker's absence, he basically said no and compared Parker's situation to a player's injury. That certainly doesn't mean Iowa was fine without him. Iowa's defense gave up fourth-quarter drives in all five of its losses this season. Can't quantify it, but Parker's presence certainly wouldn't have hurt.

"But over the long haul we're better with Norm, no question about it," Ferentz said. "So, it will be good to get him back and go from there."

Back for the long term?

"Hoping to. Yeah, hoping to. Sure," Ferentz said.

At this point of his life, Parker and coaching might be inextricable.

This is the paragraph where the rallying cry usually comes. Well, Parker is 69 and has fought diabetes, an insipid disease, for a long time. It took one of his feet this fall. It's not letting up. It's conceivable the disease is what pulls apart Parker and coaching, whether he's ready for it or not.

Friday, Parker sounded as though he is ready to be a compliant diabetes patient. He talked of health and the running Iowa's coaching staff does, led by Ferentz. Parker isn't in that group.

"There's a lot of places I might die. One of them may not be on a cinder track," said Parker, who's been in the coaching profession since 1965. "I might die on Myrtle Beach, but I'm not dying on a cinder track."

Parker and Ferentz have talked about the future. He has a green light to stay as long as he wants and is able.

"Kirk has just said, you know, 'Do what you want to do, do what you're comfortable doing. Don't think about quitting or something like that. Don't make any stupid, rash decision,' " Parker said. "I'm coming back. I mean, if I don't, I'll be really disappointed."

Whether this is "hoping to" back or "sure" back, that remains to be seen. Parker's return doesn't need a rallying cry. He'd probably make fun out of it.

"You get out of bed, you don't have the artificial leg on, it's a long fall to the ground," Parker said. "You start to get out of bed, you say, Oh, [bleep], I only got one leg on, I better get the other leg on."

Parker is here. He intends to be here next year. He was here working in his office on Friday.

He's an animal.

“Going downstairs is not the easiest thing,” he said while getting his bearings with his walker. “After that, I'm like a rabbit.”

Rabbit, jaguar. Parker is an animal.