Steve Mitchell
Parker Releases Cartoon Debut
DeVante Parker has been happy staying out of the media spotlight since he joined the Miami Dolphins as a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft, but he's been showing up on social media throughout the offseason.
Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but this has happened after he enjoyed a breakout 2019 season that landed him a contract extension from the Dolphins.
And now Parker has become the star of his own web series, "Uncle Vante," which features an animated character named "Pee Wee Parker."
The premiere episode was released Tuesday morning and featured a conversation where Pee Wee is asking DeVante about staying with him for a week during summer vacation.
"For those of you who don’t know, I am a cartoon fanatic," Parker wrote on Twitter. "I’m very excited and proud to release my own, starring myself and @thepeeweeparker. Stay tuned over the next few months to see how our story unfolds! #UncleVante"
Along with Parker and four other producers (Jimmy Gould, Alexander Aigen, Cody Hock and Demetrius Franklin), the animation is produced by Smiley Guy Studios.
The "Uncle Vante" persona of Parker isn't new. It's been a running joke around the Dolphins, as a reference to him and fellow wide receiver Jakeem Grant (because of their height difference).
And, of course, there were numerous memes alluding that Parker being an authority figure over Stephon Gilmore after his monstrous performance in the 2019 season finale when he had eight catches for 137 yards (both the highest numbers for a New England opponent last year) despite being covered one-on-one most of the game by the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
RELATED: Film Review: The Day Parker Torched Gilmore
That performance led to some memorable Parker moments on social media this offseason, notably his "feud" with Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas and later a not-so-subtle jab at Gilmore.
Parker appeared on "Good Morning Football" to talk about "Uncle Vante" and said Pee Wee wasn't based on anybody specifically.
"It’s just that little nephew that always aggravates you, just gets on your nerves, just like a little brother," Parker said. "And I’m just glad I can make this all happen right now. ... I just think it’ll be a great platform for me to get it out there for everyone to see.
“I would say I was probably in high school when I wanted to do a cartoon. Growing up, my favorite cartoon was always SpongeBob (SquarePants). That’s all I always watched when I was young. Wake up, SpongeBob was on. And now, they just show marathons of SpongeBob all the time. That’s all I’ll be watching.”
RELATED: The Parker Projection Point ... and Counterpoint
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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @apoupartFins.
