Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1276571
M icah Parsons' penchant for lobbying coaches began long before he arrived at Penn State. In just two years in the program, Parsons has tried desperately to earn at least one carry as a running back in his collegiate career, and he raised eyebrows this off- season when he appeared briefly atop the team's spring depth chart as a kickoff re- turner. At Harrisburg High School, Par- sons used the same methodology to try to persuade head coach Calvin Everett to inject a little variety into his role as a de- fensive end. "I used to have fun with it. 'Hey, Coach, let me go out there and play linebacker!' " Parsons said. "I took some reps, but they were very, very limited. Most all of my high school 4lm is at defensive end." A mere three years later, Parsons is inarguably one of college football's best linebackers. A consensus All-American as a sophomore, he finished the year with 109 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, five passes defended, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, es- tablishing himself as one of the best at the position nationally. Parsons strung together double-digit tackle perform- ances in six of the Nittany Lions' final seven games last fall, a streak book- ended by career-high 14-tackle games against Michigan and Memphis. From Oct. 19 on, he averaged more than 11 tackles every game, and his weekly Pro Football Focus grades mirrored that ascent. Parsons averaged a 66.2 grade during the first half of the season, then 79.8 the rest of the way. Given the sharp improve- |