{"id":84200,"date":"2025-05-28T02:41:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T02:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/84200\/"},"modified":"2025-05-28T02:41:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T02:41:09","slug":"who-is-micah-parsons-10-things-to-know-about-the-dallas-cowboys-defensive-weapon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/84200\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Micah Parsons? 10 things to know about the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 defensive weapon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Micah Parsons has been dominant on the football field for the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> since he was drafted, vocal in his spare time and active in his community. Here are 10 things you may not know about the Cowboys\u2019 defensive star.<\/p>\n

1. The basics<\/p>\n

Born: May 26, 1999<\/p>\n

Height: 6-3<\/p>\n

Weight: 251 pounds<\/p>\n

Cowboys<\/p>\n

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.<\/p>\n

College: Penn State<\/p>\n

2. No quit<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a moment Parsons shared with his mom that stuck with him forever. Things weren\u2019t easy for them when Parsons was growing up in Harrisburg, Pa., watching his mom cry and fight. Sherese Parsons brought Micah along to canisters filled with gas because there wasn\u2019t heat at home. It was the first time he saw his mom cry, and one time he said he didn\u2019t want to take the 30-minute ride to get gas.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you ever seen me quit,\u201d Parsons recalls his mother saying to him at the time.<\/a> \u201cAs hard as it may get, that moment made me sit back and reflect on myself for that, I will never quit in anything in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

So if you ever see Parsons not giving up on a play, now you\u2019ll know the motivation behind the action.<\/p>\n

3. Contract time?<\/p>\n

The Cowboys picked up the fifth-year option<\/a> on Parsons\u2019 rookie contract last offseason, meaning he is under contract in Dallas for 2025. A new deal could make him one of the league\u2019s highest-paid defenders.<\/p>\n

Parsons wants a new contract with the Cowboys.<\/a> In four seasons with the team, Parsons has posted 52.5 sacks while earning multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections.<\/p>\n

When speaking with reporters on May 15, Stephen Jones didn\u2019t specify when a new deal with Parsons could be completed.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t comment on close or far away or any of that,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThose things usually, when the right things come together, and everybody is ready to do a deal, then it happens. Certainly we want Micah here. He knows we want him here and I think ultimately we\u2019ll get something done.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. He has a podcast<\/p>\n

One of the biggest talking points about Parsons throughout his Dallas tenure? His podcast.<\/p>\n

Since the 2023 campaign, Parsons has hosted a podcast titled \u201cThe Edge with Micah Parsons\u201d through Bleacher Report. His podcast episodes usually air early in the week throughout the NFL\u2019s regular season.<\/p>\n

Parsons has quickly become a prominent character in the football podcasting world, taking over as the president of Bleacher Report\u2019s B\/R Gridiron in May 2024.<\/a><\/p>\n

Parsons has received some criticism for his podcast in the past. Teammate Malik Hooker notably called Parsons out for doing a podcast during the season<\/a>. Parsons responded by saying it\u2019s not a distraction and he does it on his own time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think no one really cares what I\u2019m doing on a Monday afternoon,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cI\u2019m at home with my kids. Why would [fans] care if I\u2019m on Xbox? We all get our free time.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Unanimous<\/p>\n

In February 2022, Parsons became the first Dallas Cowboy in franchise history to be unanimously named Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Harrisburg native showcased a brand of versatility that many experts consider historically unparalleled, able to dominate at both inside linebacker and edge defender as required game to game, down to down based on matchup, situation and roster need.<\/p>\n

Parsons joined J.J. Watt and DeMarcus Ware as the only NFL players in the past 15 years to record at least 80 tackles and 30 quarterback hits in the same season. For the regular season, he totaled 13 sacks, 67 quarterback pressures, 20 tackles for loss and nine forced throwaways. Each stat ranked in the top 10 across the NFL despite his 307 pass-rush attempts ranking 118th.<\/p>\n

6. The good and the bad<\/p>\n

Parsons was labeled as immature before he was drafted by the Cowboys and has admitted to it being correct at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a part of growing up,\u201d Parsons told The Dallas Morning News in November 2022<\/a>. \u201cYou gotta accept every part of the good and the bad. At that point of my life I was that dumb a–hole out of Harrisburg that just didn\u2019t know how to accept my future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The immature label developed after a hazing incident while Parsons was at Penn State. Former Penn State player Isaiah Humphries of Sachse alleged he was harassed by four players, including Parsons. Humphries eventually sued Penn State, head coach James Franklin and one of the players, but not Parsons. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit against Franklin and the school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not mad about people misinterpreting me because I was that kid that was up to no good,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cI made my mistakes, so technically you weren\u2019t wrong, but to base that off of my future now that\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

7. He\u2019s the centerpiece<\/p>\n

Parsons has made his impact felt in various ways. He started his NFL career as a do-it-all weapon, lining up at off-ball linebacker and pass rusher. He quickly became one of the league\u2019s premier sack artists.<\/p>\n

Need proof? In 63 games, Parsons has posted 256 tackles, 112 quarterback hits, 63 tackles for loss and 52.5 sacks. It\u2019s clear that Parsons is the centerpiece of Dallas\u2019 defense.<\/p>\n

And for the sake of a highlight, he also has a fumble recovery touchdown.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

8. Online spats<\/p>\n

Parsons isn\u2019t afraid of firing back at online criticism.<\/a> A big example was seen in March, when former teammate DeMarcus Lawrence decided to take a jab at the Cowboys.<\/p>\n

In an interview with a Seattle Seahawks blogger, Lawrence described Dallas as his home and emphasized that he\u2019s \u201cforever gonna be there.\u201d The positivity stopped there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know for sure I\u2019m not gonna win a Super Bowl there,\u201d Lawrence said.<\/p>\n

Parsons responded on X<\/a>, formerly Twitter, by quoting the video of Lawrence and posting, \u201cThis what rejection and envy look like! This some clown s—!\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawrence further responded<\/a>: \u201cCalling me a clown won\u2019t change the fact that I told the truth. Maybe if you spent less time tweeting and more time winning, I wouldn\u2019t have left.\u201d<\/p>\n

The social media back-and-forth took place just a day after Lawrence\u2019s new deal with Seattle was announced, which according to NFL reporter\u00a0Tom Pelissero<\/a>\u00a0is for three years and worth up to $42 million with $18 million guaranteed.<\/p>\n

9. Lawrence Taylor comparisons<\/p>\n

That\u2019s some great company.<\/p>\n

Former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann went on 105.3 The Fan in October 2022<\/a> to discuss Parsons. Theismann brought up Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who finished his career with 132.5 sacks, which is 14th all-time.<\/p>\n

\u201cMicah Parsons, to me,\u201d Theismann said, \u201cis the closest thing that we have seen to Lawrence Taylor in this league in a long, long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis athleticism, his quickness, What\u2019s he run? A 4.35 [40-yard dash], at that size? His speed. When he gets a shot at somebody, he doesn\u2019t miss them. If he\u2019s coming, he\u2019s either going through you, around you or under you. I\u2019ve been so impressed with his ability to play the game\u201d<\/p>\n

10. He spoke his future into existence<\/p>\n

Parsons opted out of the 2020 season. What did that mean? Well, his last game with Penn State was in Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 28, 2019. He was named MVP after recording 14 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry.<\/p>\n

Most important note? He called his shot. Parsons\u2019 tweeted on Dec. 8, 2020, \u201cI hope I stay in that blue and white.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wish granted.<\/p>\n

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Micah Parsons has been dominant on the football field for the Dallas Cowboys since he was drafted, vocal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84201,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2066],"tags":[230,229,257,2461,11713,7,491,6,9,4662],"class_list":{"0":"post-84200","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas-cowboys","8":"tag-cowboys","9":"tag-dallas","10":"tag-dallas-cowboys","11":"tag-dallascowboys","12":"tag-evergreen-yearly","13":"tag-football","14":"tag-micah-parsons","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-things-to-know"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114583154820886844","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84200\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}