Penn State football: Former Lion Micah Parsons claims unique rookie honor
The awards continue to flow for former Penn State standout Micah Parsons.
Earlier this week, Parsons was named first-team All-NFL by the Pro Football Writers Association.
Parsons is the only rookie this season to receive that honor, and the first rookie since Deonte Harris got the first-team nod for his performance at punt returner after the 2019 season.
The PFWA joined the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus — among others — in the group of media organizations to give Parsons a first-team nod.
Parsons already claimed the Rookie of the Year award from the PWFA, and he’s a strong favorite to win more rookie honors to be announced further down the line.
It’s not difficult to see why. No rookie came close to Parsons’s impact on the game this season.
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He registered 84 total tackles, including 20 tackles for loss. He came away with the season with 13 sacks — sixth in the NFL.
“The expectations are lower for rookies, but I just feel like I work so hard and I have the ability to do it, so I expect to do some of these things,” Parsons said this season.
The former Penn State linebacker was a constant presence in the opposition’s backfield.
He tied for fourth in the league with 30 quarterback hits and 47 pressures, and also finished second in the NFL with 17 QB knockdowns.
And he did all that from two different positions.
He earned his first-team All-NFL spot as a linebacker, but Parsons also lined up plenty at defensive end over the course of the season.
Parsons told Sports Illustrated that he considers himself to be one of the most versatile players in the NFL.
“He jumps off the tape at you. I think more recently at the end position,” former Saints coach Sean Payton said this season. “He’s impressive when he rushes, obviously when he plays at linebacker the same way. I think when he gets on the tackles, though, and is rushing, he’s a handful.”
