Micah Parsons Selected No. 12 by Cowboys in First Round of NFL Draft
It seems taking a year off from collegiate football has paid off for Micah Parsons.
The former five-star linebacker recruit out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was selected No. 12 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft Thursday evening.
Despite sitting out the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns and to focus on his professional career, Parsons was a highly touted professional prospect due to his stellar freshman and sophomore campaigns at University Park.
In his first year, Parsons had a team-high 83 tackles to become the first freshman in program history to lead Penn State in tackles in a season. During the 2019 VRBO Citrus Bowl, Parsons recorded a career-high 14 tackles in a losing effort for the blue and white.
Parsons then outdid himself in his sophomore campaign, being named a consensus All-American by the NCAA for his outstanding achievements. He accumulated 109 tackles, five sacks and four forced fumbles.
In what would be his last game ever playing for the Nittany Lions, Parsons was a defensive menace against Memphis in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, turning in arguably his best performance for Penn State.
En route to earning Defensive MVP honors, Parsons matched his career high with 14 tackles, added two sacks and forced two fumbles, one of which turned into a momentum-changing touchdown returned by safety Garrett Taylor.
Now, Parsons will have a chance to fulfill his professional aspirations at the next level, where he will likely play in a similar linebacker role as he did in his brief two-year college career.
Andrew Destin is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ajd6360@psu.edu.
