Why Norm's still in it

He's down two toes in a battle with diabetes. He's coached from a golf cart for about six years. He's going into his 46th year as a football coach.

Norm Parker, 68, isn't going anywhere. Seriously.

"I'll probably croak out on the field someday," the Iowa defensive coordinator deadpanned. "Hope we're ahead when I do it."

Parker discussed what's ahead for his Iowa defense during a Tuesday news conference. This will be his 12th season under Kirk Ferentz, who from day one has simply handed Parker the keys to the defense.

 The 2010 Hawkeyes' defense should be ferocious, led by a front four that will bring 27 sacks from 2009 with it, a secondary with 11 interceptions and a linebacker corps that could include three seniors.

End Adrian Clayborn returns with 11.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and visions of Lombardi and Outland Trophies somewhere out there for him. He's joined by tackle Karl Klug, who Parker said belongs among the great Iowa D-linemen of the Ferentz era, tackle Christian Ballard and end Broderick Binns.

Parker carries the wisdom and so he's not advertising that this defense will climb Everest. That's what most coaches, especially wizened ones, do.

"We have a chance to be decent," he said. "The problem with all that kind of stuff is I think the league is going to be better. I think our non-league will be better. Iowa State will be better and Arizona will be better. It's going to be demanding."

Parker believes senior Jeff Tarpinian will be a major factor for his defense at some point. Tarpinian began the spring as the No. 2 outside linebacker, but was listed Tuesday as the No. 1 middle linebacker going into Saturday's spring scrimmage at Kinnick Stadium.

He compared defense to a pie tin.

"Remember a pie tin like your mother used to cook pies in? Those aluminum pie tins?" Parker asked. "Well, if you took that pie tin and you made 11 different sections inside it and each one of those you counted as a position and you stuck a hole in it, the water would come out of that hole. So, no matter where that hole is, the water is going to come in there. . . . If there's a hole in the defense, the ball is going to find it, so you've got to have all of those holes plugged up and one hole is not any more important than the others."

He talked about the bandleader, the middle linebacker.

"There are a lot of guys who like to play in the band, but not everybody wants to lead the band," Parker said. "The middle linebacker has to be the guy who'll say, 'I'll lead the band.'"

He also talked about batteries, especially the juice that keeps his charged after 46 seasons breathing sideline chalk.

And this is why Parker rolled around the Big Ten in a wheelchair last season after leg and foot surgery flaired up.

This is why he's still in it.

"One person asked me what's the most exciting thing," Parker said. "Before, it was winning a game, that was the biggest thing, was winning a game. I think the thing that makes you the happiest now is to see the look on the faces of the players after they've done something good.

"In other words, I don't know if winning that Orange Bowl was the charge as much as it was seeing the look on the faces of the players when they knew they had done something, you know, see their satisfaction. It's like the Penn State game. Our guys prepared hard, put a lot into it and when they won the game, to see their faces, that to me meant more than winning the game.

"Maybe that means you're getting old. Maybe that means you're seeing the game the way you should see it."

This is exactly why Ferentz hired Parker 12 years ago.

"Norm's a guy who's been through a lot in football and his personal life," Ferentz said before the 2002 Orange Bowl. "It's really hard to rock his world. When we brought Norm to Iowa, we thought that was important, what he would bring our team."

It was true 12 years ago and it's true today. It's perspective, rock-solid perspective. It's when a coach might consider -- might -- victory for a lesson learned.

""I guess it's not so much the game, but the journey," Parker said. "That's more important than the game. If you prepare hard for the journey, the game sort of takes care of itself. To see those guys do that, that to me is the charge of it. To see that look on their faces . . .

"You walk out of a lockerroom and you see Pat Angerer's dad there with a smile on his face, just that proud parent, that's what makes it fun. And then being around the guys. I think that's what all the coaches like as much as anything, being around the guys.

"You're around young kids. That keeps you a little bit young, at least you think you're young."

His golf game might've taken a hit.

"I'm not sure if I swung a golf club if I wouldn't fall down, but if I get the golf game straightened out, I'll be all right," he joked. "So, I can at least stand up after a golf swing."

But Norm Parker is still standing.