New Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Micah Parsons happy to be playing football again

While the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league are focused on a return to normalcy, hosting their first rookie mini camp since 2019, rookie top pick Micah Parsons was just happy for a return to football and a game he has loved since he was a kid.

Parsons was a COVID-19 opt out last season at Penn State. So before Friday, the star linebacker hadn’t hit a blocking sled since practicing for the Cotton Bowl following the 2019 season.

“The first rep we got the rust off,” Parsons said. “The second rep was like, I’m back now. That is how it is. We just wiped the dust off and acted like it was brand new. It felt extraordinary just to get back out there. Nothing new out there. Felt really good. Ready to keep getting better.”

It’s been nothing but good feelings for Parsons since the Cowboys made his dream come true by taking him with the 12th overall pick during the NFL Draft in Cleveland on April 29.

A whirlwind followed. Within 24 hours Parson and his family were flying to down to Dallas on the private plane of Jerry Jones, to be introduced as the next member of the Cowboys. The following day, the family was back in Pennsylvania so they could celebrate his son’ third birthday. He received the key to the city in his hometown of Harrisburg the following Monday, and was recognized by his local state representative on Thursday before going back to Penn State to watch some friends and family graduate.

Then there was a trip back to California to get braces before returning to Dallas for the start of mini camp.

“It was actually pretty crazy,” Parsons said. “I didn’t get to relax or chill at all.”

Newsflash: there will be no chill from here on out for Parsons, who was brought in to be an impact difference maker on a Cowboys defense that was one of the worst in team history last season, setting a club record for most points allowed and giving up the second-most yards and rushing yards ever.

Upon his arrival, he was informed by the Cowboys that will be the team’s middle linebacker in the new defense installed by coordinator Dan Quinn.

“I’m just coordinating and being a dominant force,” Parsons said. “They wouldn’t move me there if they didn’t have a need. At middle linebacker you get a chance to force. You get to be a Rambo player. You can matchup on running backs. You get a chance to play in the box. That is what I do best. You watch what I did in college. I was able to go sideline to sideline. I can go both ways. Always be around the ball. I am excited to start there.”

It means new positions for veterans Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith, who both played middle linebacker for much of the past three seasons.

Of course, Vander Esch has missed 13 games due to injury over the past two seasons. And while Smith led the Cowboys in tackles in 2019 and 2020, big plays were lacking.

Jones said the move of Parsons to middle linebacker is about making the entire group better and more compatible, especially when it comes to helping out with the pass rush.

“The thing I see from our linebacker group that is going to be unique is pressure,” Jones said. “I can see that group being a big part of our plans for pressure. Jaylon can get some pressure. That was the key thing we were looking at with [Parsons] fit was to add to the pressure aspect.”

Destiny fulfilled

Parsons is already in his playbook and plans to study film religiously as part of his nightly routine along with his bible reading. He said the Cowboys are drawing up third-down packages designed for him to pressure the passer, which was also his specialty at Penn State.

Parsons racked up 109 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss, and five sacks as a sophomore while earning consensus All-American honors and the Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year award as a sophomore in 2019 before opting out.

“On first and second down I am going to be in the box,” Parsons said. “On third down they are going to find a way to get me to the quarterback, which I am excited about. Dan Quinn is a great coordinator. He gets his best players on the field and in position to make plays and I have full faith in him.”

Both Smith and Vander Esch have reached out to Parsons since the draft.

Parsons said he has had a relationship with Smith since the Cowboys veteran made a point to connect with him after his MVP performance in the 2019 Cotton Bowl, in which he stuffed the stats sheet with 14 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles.

“He was like, ‘Yo, I love your game,’” Parsons said Smith told him. “Actually it’s crazy. I still got the DMs. I told Jaylon, ‘Tell them Cowboys to come get me next year. I’m trying to play next to you.’ It’s kind of crazy how everything worked out.”

Parsons said he is looking forward to learning from Smith and Vander Esch, starting next week when the rookies and veterans combine as one.

“At the end of the day, it’s all love and it’s all business,” Parsons said. “I’m not trying to come in here and tell these guys what to do. I’m just trying to earn my place. I was drafted, but there’s so much more I’ve got to accomplish and prove before I can worry about taking anybody’s spot. I’m just blessed to be able to learn after them and hopefully make my way to become a type of player like them or better.”