Former Penn State star Micah Parsons on his NFL preseason debut: ‘It’s just a true honor and blessing’

For the first time in 586 days Thursday, Micah Parsons strapped on his helmet and took the field for live football action. The Harrisburg native hadn’t played in a game since he earned MVP honors in Penn State’s win over Memphis in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 28, 2019.

In between that day in Arlington, Texas, and Thursday night in Canton, Ohio, a global pandemic brought the world to a halt, Parsons opted out of Penn State’s 2020 season and the Dallas Cowboys selected Parsons with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

It had certainly been a while for Parsons, but the linebacker looked like himself when he made his NFL preseason debut for the Cowboys against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game. He felt like himself, too.

“To be able to step out here, came a long way from 2019 when I played my last game,” Parsons said after the game, per the Cowboys team site. “And you know, it’s just a true honor and blessing to wear the uniform, represent the Cowboys and represent my family and come out here to get back into a football rhythm, you know what I mean? So it’s been pretty good.”

Parsons started at linebacker for the Cowboys and played the first two series of the game. He showcased his athletic ability and his nose for the football with three tackles, and on the first series of the game, he gobbled up a fumble when Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph mishandled a snap.

For Parsons, the play was a callback to his much-anticipated Penn State debut back in 2018.

“Yeah, I mean, I actually had a fumble recovery my first game in college, so I like the trend that’s going on right now,” he said.

Parsons said it was good to see his parents in the stands at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium for his first NFL action, and Parsons highlighted the work he’s done in Dallas training camp against Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard as something that had him prepared for his first professional action.

“Honestly, I really wasn’t that nervous,” Parsons said. “I was telling somebody, I was more nervous for my college games than I was for this game.”

The Cowboys want to use Parsons in a variety of ways in coordinator Dan Quinn’s defense, and in his limited action Thursday night, Parsons blitzed both up the middle and off the edge, dropped into coverage and played as a traditional run-stuffing linebacker sniffing out holes.

Parsons believes he can make a big contribution, and while he said Quinn and other defensive assistants are preaching patience, Parsons said he wants to continue going full speed with joint practices and a preseason game with the Los Angeles Rams on deck. He feels his previous experience has helped him acclimate to the NFL game.

“It actually hasn’t been that hard,” Parsons said. “I think I’m a smart player, but we ran a lot of similar plays at Penn State, so I think Coach (Brent) Pry and Coach (James) Franklin did a great job of helping me get ready for this level.”

It was a long wait for Parsons to get back onto the field in live action, but finally, there he was Thursday night in Ohio at the highest level. And if his debut was any indication, Parsons believes he can carve out a vital role in the Cowboys defense.

“I definitely believe I can make a big contribution,” Parsons said, “but I’m going to keep playing role, keep doing what I’m doing and just keep striving and keep getting better.”