We were ecstatic to extend an invitation to our Athlete Tap-In on June 17, 2025, to former collegiate football standout James Parker, who graciously accepted! Also known as Jimmy Lee, he's no longer dominating the gridiron but winning at life. He is a successful ranch owner, provides horseback riding lessons, competes in ranch rodeos, the World Series of Team Roping events, and is also an actor. He attended our athlete meeting, sharing words of wisdom, support, and advice to MET athletes.
During the meeting, it was difficult for Jimmy Lee to show us around the ranch. So we added the ranch to our travel stops. On June 21, 2025, our boots hit the ground in Whitesboro, Texas, and we visited Jimmy Lee and the ranch in person. We were overwhelmed by the size of the ranch, the greenery for grazing, and his beautiful mares. Jimmy Lee credits his current sponsorships with Crown3 Equine, Dallas Muscle Therapy, and Lone Star Ropes to how he maintains the horses, ranch, and actively competes.
Who knew that visiting the ranch would become an educational field trip? We learned the true history of the town of Whitesboro. "The town used to be all black," said Jimmy Lee. He also explained to us about the Red River separating Oklahoma and Texas. When asked why all the horses were mares, he responded, "They're easier to train and work harder." Jimmy Lee mentioned that the horses need shoes about every six weeks. Lastly, we had no idea that the largest casino in the world, WinStar, resides in Oklahoma, about an hour outside of the Dallas area.
Jimmy Lee has strong ties with his community and the entertainment industry. We left the visit thoroughly impressed by him living out his dreams with success.
A special note of Thanks to Jimmy Lee for welcoming MET to the ranch and sharing his up-close and personal story of success with us~Team MET
Sources
https://www.avilaathletics.com/sports/fball/2014-15/bios/James_Parker
https://calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/aug/12
https://www.redriverhistorian.com/post/racialist-deflection-violence-in-the-red-river-valley
https://largest.org/entertainment/largest-casinos-in-the-world-with-the-biggest-gaming-floors/