Cowboys Micah Parsons to Dak Prescott: ‘I’m Coming for You!’
He was voted as the No. 9 overall player and the second-best defender in "The Top 100 Players of 2023," but for Micah Parsons, that isn't satisfactory.
Parsons has needed just two years to show how dynamic he is, as his 26.5 sacks are the most in the first two seasons of career in Dallas Cowboys history. That's while also racking up 149 tackles, hitting the quarterback 56 times, forcing six fumbles and breaking up as many passes.
The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, native won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and been named a First Team All-Pro twice. Parsons is well on his way to a Hall of Fame career if he can stay healthy and maintain this pace of production, but is that enough?
"The Hall of Fame's a great bunch, but you get a different level of meaning when they say you're one of the best," Parsons said on "The Pivot Podcast" Tuesday. "Guys get into the Hall of Fame, but when you're the best in the Hall of Fame, your name always rings bells. [Lawrence Taylor]'s been gone for what, 20-plus years? His name still rings two decades from now. That's crazy.
“When my decade's up, I need to be ringing in 2050. My son needs to be coming through like, 'Oh, you got your dad. Your dad was the best to ever do it.'"
Parsons' razor-sharp mental focus has helped grow his play on the field, finishing second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting twice behind edge rushers T.J. Watt and Nick Bosa in 2021-22, respectively.
His strive for greatness never stops. Like Michael Jordan, Parsons has already achieved greatness, but there's never a sense of complacency, rather striving to be better than he was the day prior and knowing he's the best player on the field every down.
"The mindset is how I'm taking it: if I want to be the best, I'm the best every day. I can't be the best on Monday and not on Tuesday," Parsons said. "Every day I tell '4,' I say, 'Yo, I'm coming for you. Every day I'm competing for you.' It's not nothing personal. I feel like I got to be greater than you every day."
His Jordan mentality developed after watching "The Last Dance" documentary series and talking with the NBA Hall of Famer.
"I was watching M.J.'s documentary, he said, 'I wanted to see who the leader on the court was.' He said, 'I went straight at him.'" Parsons said. "So every day '4' I'm coming at you, you're the leader. I got to attack you because that's going to make every one else say, 'Oh s---, Micah's balling today.'"
Parsons said coaches told him they were going to have offensive tackles chip him in practice, and rather than getting upset that they were going after his knees, he embraced the challenge because that's what he'll face in games.
With Parsons' mindset and ability, he might not finish second this year.
Follow Casey Smith on Twitter @casey_smith2419
COWBOYS FISH REPORT … now a podcast! Join us inside The Star, ANY TIME!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Cowboys?
Follow FishSports on Twitter
Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook
Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live reports!
