Micah Parsons comes across as a fun-loving kid who loves playing football.
But make no mistake about it, the Dallas Cowboys star linebacker wants to win . . . at everything.
And he doesn’t care whose feelings may get hurt in the process or whose toes may get stepped on.
The Cowboys continue to rave about his athleticism.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder runs the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds and calls himself the fastest player on the team. He wowed his teammates by blasting home runs during a charity hitting contest.
And owner Jerry Jones continues to guffaw about watching him swing and flip at a gymnastics exhibition.
And this is in addition to his exploits on the field as a rookie in 2021 when lined up all over the defense, led the Cowboys in sacks, won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and finished second in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.
But it’s his drive and competitiveness that is going to put the Cowboys over the top.
And whether he is on the field for practice or a game, he demands 100 percent from himself and everyone else.
“I truly believe if you really love the game there’s nothing, no matter if it’s a scrimmage, I don’t care if we’re playing pickup basketball in the rec, my team is winning by 21. I don’t care what game it is, I’m going to try to win,” Parsons said. “That’s what a true competitor is. If you don’t have that competitiveness, I wouldn’t want to play with you.
“I even get mad at my sister when we play Scrabble. Why are you closing the board up? It doesn’t make sense. I don’t care what it is, we can play Monopoly. You make a dumb trade, are you trying to win? You know? That’s what a true competitor is. It doesn’t matter.”
It’s also why Parsons was upset in a training camp practice and had to be removed from the offensive huddle. The energy wasn’t right and he was showing his leadership.
“Yeah, practice. You know, I think about the type of role that people want me to have, that leader role, and how energy affects what’s around you,” Parsons said. “I feel like if my energy is not there, I’m not making plays, that will translate to the games this year.”
Senior defensive assistant George Edwards, who runs the linebacker room, has told Parsons that these practice frustrations are molding him for the season. Everything is not going to be perfect and teams will be focusing their schemes to stop him.
Parsons gets that and understands the process but remains focused on the big picture. It’s no longer just about him and his success.
It’s about the team, his family, the city he grew up in and the city he plays for now.
Compared to legends
His drive and competitiveness come from the same place that made NBA legends Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Lebron James into champions.
He doesn’t want to waste his talent or his opportunity to reach greatness.
“You look at all the great players like MJ, you look at LeBron and Kobe, they always have this drive to do something bigger than what was ever done before,” Parsons said. “Bringing a Super Bowl is where my mind’s at, and that’s what drives me. And what I want to do for my family and this team and what I know I can accomplish with my abilities, that’s what drives me. We talk all the time about so much talent, youth and other kids that go to waste, and I don’t want this to go to waste. I just want to be an example.”
Jones has seen some of the greatest competitors in franchise history during the team’s run to three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s, including Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders and Charles Haley.
And Jones calls former quarterback Tony Romo equal to anyone as a pure competitor.
When it comes to Parsons, Jones invokes former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson.
“Tony was competitive in every way, physically and otherwise,” Jones said. “Parsons is unique in that he’s competitive in the most challenging physical areas. He’s competitive in the defensive line area. He’s competitive where you are the force and your open field physical area, you are the force. I don’t want to make more of it than it is, but he brings a competitive spirit that is Mike Tyson-esque. Yet he brings that extra wind to it, or exceling to it.”
Jones said it’s not just on the field with Parsons. It’s also in how he handles his business.
“He’ll not go if he thinks the ticket fare is too high,” Jones said. “So he’s got his mind on the right areas.”
Simply put, Parsons wants to win at everything, including golf, one of the few sports he doesn’t excel in.
“But that’s an older man’s game,” Parsons explained. “I’m going to get there.’’
Still, he refuses to back down from a golf competition, especially with money involved..
“When we go to Topgolf, it’s $50 a shot. Who can hit it farther?,” Parsons said. “I’ve got a ‘Happy Gilmore’ swing.’’
He wouldn’t have been smiling if he was losing.
