Micah Parsons

Micah Aaron Parsons was born on May 26, 1999, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He attended Central Dauphin High School before transferring to Harrisburg High School, where he excelled as both a defensive end and running back. During his senior year, Parsons recorded 1,239 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns, 99 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. He was a highly-rated five-star recruit, receiving scholarship offers from several top college football programs. Parsons ultimately committed to Penn State University, enrolling early in December 2017 to begin his collegiate career.

Parsons played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2018 to 2019. Despite starting only one game during his freshman year, he led the team in tackles with 82, along with 4 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His performance earned him recognition as a Freshman All-American in 2018. In his sophomore season in 2019, Parsons started 12 games at middle linebacker, accumulating 109 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. For his exceptional play, he was named the Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and a consensus All-American. He also earned defensive MVP honors at the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic.

In 2020, Parsons opted out of the college football season due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and declared for the NFL Draft. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round as the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. During his rookie season in 2021, he was converted to defensive end and quickly made an impact as a pass rusher. Parsons earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 8 and set a Cowboys rookie record with 13 sacks. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, a first-team All-Pro, and a Pro Bowler. Over four seasons with the Cowboys (2021-2024), Parsons continued to achieve Pro Bowl honors annually and received multiple All-Pro selections, becoming one of only two players in NFL history to record at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons. In August 2025, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers, signing a four-year, $188 million extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at the time. Parsons has also expanded his career off the field, including being named President of B/R Gridiron in 2024.