In news that’s about as surprising as Bourbon Street being packed on New Year’s Eve, former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons has been selected to the Pro Bowl.
This is the third straight time the Cowboys star has been selected, which is even more impressive when considering the fact that he’s only been in the league for three seasons.
Parsons has played in 16 of Dallas’ 17 games this season and has 32 tackles, 13 sacks (tied for eighth in the league) and a forced fumble. He also has 90 quarterback pressures and, per the Cowboys website, joins Mel Renfro— who played his last game almost 46 years ago— as the only defensive players in franchise history to make it to the Pro Bowl in each of their first three seasons.
A five-star recruit from Harrisburg, Parsons only played two seasons at Penn State, but made the most of his time, being named freshman all-American in 2018 and consensus all-American in 2019. He didn’t left Penn State after that 2019 season, choosing to focus on the NFL Draft amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Dallas then selected Parsons with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft.
In September, Parsons’ college coach, James Franklin, spoke highly of his former star.
“I’m super proud of him,” Franklin said. “I’m super proud of the young man that we recruited really from ninth grade, that took us on a roller-coaster ride during his recruiting process. We had some tough love when he was here. And he looks back at all this stuff with such appreciation now. He’s always been super thoughtful. I loved how he embraced the whole Penn State experience.”
