Micah Parsons

Micah Aaron Parsons is an American football outside linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Parsons played college football at Penn State, where he was named a Consensus All-American, the Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, and the Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP as a sophomore in 2019, before being drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Parsons was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year following the 2021 season.

Micah Parsons’ Early Life and Background

Parsons was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on May 26, 1999. He attended Central Dauphin High School for his freshman and sophomore years, before transferring to Harrisburg High School where he started at both defensive end and running back.

As a freshman, he tallied 121 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 18.5 sacks. As a junior, he collected 69 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks.

As a senior, Parsons posted 1,239 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns (tied for ninth in the state), 99 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. He racked up 55 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 101⁄2 sacks, and one interception. He was a five-star recruit and was ranked 4th in his class. Parsons was recruited by the likes of Nebraska, Alabama, and Ohio State, among others. Ohio State committed NCAA violations in their recruitment of Parsons and agreed to no longer recruit Micah. Penn State University offered Parsons a football scholarship after just four games of his freshman season and he initially committed in the spring of 2016, before decommitting for a while and committing again on December 20, 2017. He graduated from Harrisburg High School seven months early to expedite the enrollment process.

Micah Parsons Collegiate Career

After committing to Penn State, Parson was informed that he would start at middle linebacker instead of the defensive end position that he’d occupied in high school. In his freshman year, Parsons started just one game but managed to lead the team in tackles with 82, also adding 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 10 QB hurries and 2 forced fumbles. He became the first Nittany Lion to ever lead the team in tackles as a freshman. He finished second in the Big Ten Defensive Freshman of the Year voting behind WR Rondale Moore. In his sophomore season, after starting 12 of 13 games, Parsons totaled 109 tackles (14 for loss), five sacks, 26 QB hurries, five deflected passes, and four forced fumbles. Parsons went on to be named the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year (given to the Big-Ten Linebacker of the Year) and a consensus All-American. He was named the defensive MVP of the 2019 Cotton Bowl after recording 14 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. He opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and declined his remaining years of college eligibility in favor of making himself available to the NFL in the 2021 draft.

Who Drafted Micah Parsons?

Parsons opted out of the 2020 college season due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and declined his remaining years of college eligibility in favor of making himself available to the NFL in the 2021 draft. There, he had an impressive outing and further solidified his standing as a top-end talent and a guaranteed first-round pick. Parsons was selected in the first round (12th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Micah Parsons’ NFL Journey

Parsons has had an electric rookie campaign and will look to improve upon his performance in his second season. He started off strong for the Cowboys and hasn’t looked back. He has racked up NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards along with a Pro Bowl selection, a 1st-team All-Pro selection, and a unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year to his name.

Micah Parsons teams

Dallas Cowboys (2021-Present)

Parsons was selected in the first round (12th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL Draft. On June 9, 2021, he signed his four-year rookie contract worth $17 million.

Because of DeMarcus Lawrence’s injury, Dallas converted Parsons into a defensive end again before week 2, a position where he enjoyed immediate success, particularly as a pass rusher. In Week 8, Parsons had 11 tackles, including four for loss in a 20-16 win over the Vikings, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week. His 12 sacks in his first 13 career games are the fourth-most by a rookie in NFL history behind only Julius Peppers (13), Reggie White (13), and Leslie O'Neal (12.5). He tallied a total of 84 tackles, 13 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was voted into the Pro Bowl, named 1st-team All-Pro, and was the unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Micah Parsons Awards and Honours

Micah Parsons NFL Records

Micah has already set a Cowboys franchise record in just his first season when he set the rookie sack record at 13.

Micah Parsons's Net Worth

Micah Parsons’ net worth is estimated to be around 4 million dollars. His net worth comes from his playing career with his contract with the Cowboys. He also received a $9.78 million signing bonus.

Read more about Micah Parson's playing position

Micah Parsons's family

Sherese Parsons and Terrence Parsons welcomed Micah Parsons into the world in Pennsylvania in May of 1999. The linebacker, 23, has a brother named Terrence Parsons and a sister named Shatara Parsons. Micah had a child while he was still a teenager. In 2018, he was just starting his journey at Penn State University when he welcomed his son Malcolm Parsons into the world.