“I Miss Him Every Day”: Parker Livingstone’s first touchdown on Saturday meant a little more
When Parker Livingstone opened the scoring of an eventual 38-7 win for the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, the breakout wide receiver pointed to the sky—a common celebration for touchdown scorers, but one that often means more than what meets the eye.
[Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY for $1 and get the BEST Longhorns coverage!]
Livingstone broke out for an 83-yard touchdown on Texas’ third drive of the game, finding a seam in the defense and breaking down the sideline all the way for his second touchdown of the season, the only two Texas had scored up until that point.
In the frenziness of one of the most explosive plays in recent DKR memory came a moment for Livingstone—a chance to return a memory to a person who had given a younger Livingstone the love every kid dreams of.
“It was everything,” Livingstone said about getting to cherish the moment, thinking about his late grandfather. “I miss him every day. He was a huge part of my life. He’d send me texts before every game, after every game.”
Livingstone’s grandfather passed in his senior year of high school, one of the hardest years of Parker’s life. It was his first time dealing with true grief, while also being sidelined with an injury. It’s been a long journey for Livingstone to get to the point where he is now: leading the Texas Longhorns in receiving yards and touchdowns after a big win in DKR.
Top 10
- 1New
JP Poll Top 20
Big shakeup after Week 2
- 2
Heisman Odds shakeup
Big movement among favorites
- 3Hot
Eli Drinkwitz comes clean
Knew rule was broken
- 4
Deion Sanders
Fires back at media
- 5Trending
Big 12 punishes ref crew
Costly mistake in Kansas-Mizzou
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“I’d never felt anything like that before—missing someone that close,” Livingstone said. “So every chance I get, a big play or anything, I try to do it for him. I wear his initials on my wrist.”
And Livingstone has risen to the occasion, doing it for his grandfather. The redshirt freshman has accounted for half of Texas’ 42 points scored this year, beginning with the Longhorns’ only touchdown against Ohio State the week before.
His third touchdown came not long after that 83-yard scamper, entering the game following a big turnover in favor of the Longhorns and catching a quick slant for a short score. While he likely had his grandfather in mind there as well, he went for the more stylish ball spin and flex.
Livingstone has already become a fan favorite in Austin, but it’s clear that the fame won’t cloud what he holds closest—his family. Whether it be his two brothers, who he says are hard to keep up with on gameday, his parents, who have been with him this whole way, or a man who was once his biggest supporter, Livingstone carries his name with pride. And it shows on the football field.
