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Lineman sacks presents

Former Spokane Shock defensive lineman Devon Parks wraps a gift outside Nordstrom on Tuesday at River Park Square, where he operates a gift wrapping kiosk that helps the Wishing Star Foundation. He says that volunteering several years ago as a wrapper for a charity taught him how to wrap gifts properly. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jess Brown
Former Spokane Shock defensive lineman Devon Parks wraps a gift outside Nordstrom on Tuesday at River Park Square, where he operates a gift wrapping kiosk that helps the Wishing Star Foundation. He says that volunteering several years ago as a wrapper for a charity taught him how to wrap gifts properly. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

There probably won’t be many times when you’ll find yourself in this scenario.

You are Christmas shopping and want to get your purchases gift-wrapped. At River Park Square you notice a gift-wrapping station just outside the Gap. When you approach, a 6-foot-2, 252-pound football-player type is doing the wrapping.

Wait. It is a football player.

It’s former Spokane Shock defensive lineman Devon Parks, and he’s now added entrepreneur to his resume.

Parks, 22, a Los Angeles native who recently signed an AFL contract with the Orlando Predators, set up shop a couple of weeks ago and will be in business through Christmas. He’s not only supplementing his modest arenafootball2 salary of $200 a game ($250 if they win), he’s giving 40 percent of the profits to the Wishing Star Foundation.

“During the off-season we have a lot of time to train and get ready for next season, and gift-wrapping is a perfect seasonal job,” Parks said.

“Also, I like gift-wrapping. I’ve volunteered for it before.”

Wait, a lineman likes wrapping presents?

“I’m pretty good at it,” Parks added, lifting up a perfectly wrapped prototype. “At first it was slow, but now it’s picked up. It’s been getting pretty hectic as it gets closer to Christmas.”

When customers realize Parks played for the Shock, he said, they don’t necessarily want to discuss football.

“People are pretty interested in the charity part of it,” he said. “People recognize Wishing Star all over, whether you are a football fan or not.

“I was looking for a nonprofit group to be associated with because it’s the holiday season, so I met with them and they were nice enough to partner up with me on this.”

Parks will take off to Florida shortly after the holidays so he can get used to the humidity and continue getting ready for training camp. If he makes the Predators’ roster, the AFL minimum salary is $30,000 a year. If he doesn’t make the roster, he said, he’d love to come back for another season with the Shock.

“I just like Spokane and all the people here – they are all good people,” he said. “Spokane has kind of given me a lot and it’s only right that I give back and I think this is one of the right ways to do it.”