Micah Parsons EXCLUSIVE: Dallas Cowboys Star on His 'Lion' Jewelry, Fatherhood & Eagles 'Hate' in Philadelphia
FRISCO - In the wild, animals are acutely aware of the "King of the Jungle", the lion. On the football field, opposing NFL quarterbacks feel a similar, crushing presence from Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
Parsons clocks in at an average pass-rush get-off of .57 seconds. He thrashes around 300-pound linemen, charging across the line of scrimmage to take down his prey - the quarterback. His lion persona takes over, as Parsons celebrates his sacks by crawling on all fours with a snarl or a belly rub. The viral celebrations were not created in advance or planned out by Parsons.
Actually, growing up, his parents forbid him to celebrate in football in a lesson of humbleness, he divulged in an exclusive interview.
Still, the sack celebration came naturally to Parsons, who feels a connection to lions through their prominence in the Bible and their approach to survival. A lion, he pointed out, isn't the largest animal, but it is the most powerful because of its mindset.
Parson's mindset is clear. "The lion,'' he said during our one-on-one visit at the team's Star headquarters, "is always hungry."
Micah Parsons custom chain and lion costume
Parsons is on the prowl against the 7-1 Philadelphia Eagles this week. In what is shaping up to be a classic NFC East division battle, the 5-2 Cowboys will take a visit to raucous Lincoln Financial Field in Philly, where fans are notoriously inhospitable.
How, I asked Parsons, does it feel to be "hated'' as a visitor in his home state of Pennsylvania?
"I'd compare it to going to a family members house that you don't like," Parsons said with a laugh. "Like when you are young and you have to go ... but you don't necessarily want to be around your cousins you don't like."
For the third time in his three-year career, Parsons is a favorite for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Parsons is also one of the most versatile players in the NFL, as a moveable chess piece for coordinator Dan Quinn's defense.
Parsons has kept opponents guessing to the tune of six sacks through seven games so far this season. In his first two seasons with Dallas, Parsons led the NFL with 90 quarterback pressures and a league-high 19.3 pressure percentage in 2022.
Those are some flashy numbers, similar to a beautiful custom chain Parsons donned at AT&T Stadium last Sunday while dressed up in a lion costume for Halloween.
Parsons tells CowboysSI.com that he is launching a limited-edition replica of the $125,000 pendant for a fraction of the price in collaboration with the GLD Shop. The Micah Parsons Portrait Pendant ($149) illustrates the linebacker’s signature sack celebration on the field.
Parsons' hope is that fans can feel glamorous in quality jewelry, without having to break the bank - "affordability'' being something important to him.
"To be real, I'm probably one of the cheapest people you know," Parsons said. "I love a good deal. I had never flown first class until last year. I never was going to fly first class but it was for a partnership that I had and they flew me out. I got up there and was like, 'Wow, this is amazing.'"
The comfort impressed him, but the free bags are what really got him coming back for more.
Parsons Pendant
Also amazing to Parsons: How the 24-year-old's temperament has evolved due to fatherhood. He has a 5-year-old son, Malcom, and a daughter born in January.
"A lot of times in life you have to think selfishly, but for the first time in my life I had to think bigger than myself," Parsons said. "I thought about my future. How I want my children to be raised. Who I want my children to be around. I think all that is the most important."
His son says he can't wait to be a big lion like his Dad.
He has some big paws to fill.
And now fans who want their own Micah connection can wear their pride by representing their favorite Cowboys "King of the Jungle."
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