Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1509432
1 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M M uch of Penn State coach James Franklin's Sept. 19 news confer- ence was focused on his team's upcoming matchup against Iowa, but his longest answer came in response to a question about a former Nittany Lion. Franklin was asked to reflect on Mi- cah Parsons' rise to stardom in the NFL. Parsons is already a two-time All-Pro and was the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021. Ahead of the 2023 season, he was listed as the ninth-best overall player by NFL.com. Before emerging as one of pro foot- ball's biggest stars, Parsons played two seasons with the Nittany Lions. He was Penn State's leading tackler as a fresh- man and an All-American as a sopho- more. Then, when the Big Ten began waffling over whether to play a season in 2020 amid the ongoing COVID-19 pan- demic, he opted to end his college career after just two years in blue and white. Even though the consensus All- American's tenure in State College was relatively brief, he made a big impres- sion on the program. These days, Frank- lin views Parsons as a player that his successors would do well to emulate, and not just on the field. The veteran coach said one of the ar- eas in which Parsons serves as a good example is in his approach to money management, a life skill that has be- come increasingly important now that the NCAA has abandoned restrictions that for decades had prevented stu- dent-athletes from profiting off of their name, image and likeness. "I hear stories about our guys wast- ing money on haircuts, or turning down NIL opportunities that they don't think pay enough," Franklin said. "I worry about it, and I worry about unrealistic expectations of how hard it is to earn a dollar in our country. I want our guys to appreciate that. I think Micah is a great example. "Part of our responsibility as college football coaches that I take very seri- ously is that, when our guys leave here, they're equipped and ready to take care of themselves and their families for the next 40 years. "I think NIL can be a positive in teaching them lessons about how to manage your money. Micah is a great example of that. He's got more money than most people will ever dream of, but he's complaining on social media about how much a haircut costs." Parsons would likely have been among the biggest beneficiaries in the college game if NIL deals had been permitted during his career, but the changes that loosened restrictions didn't arrive until July 2021. Parsons was drafted 12th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in April of that year and later signed a four-year, $17 million contract. The next pact he signs will dwarf that sum, with some observers Former Nittany Lion Greats Amplify James Franklin's NIL Message NAT E BAU E R | N A T E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M NEWS & NOTES Franklin said recently that former Penn State All-American Micah Parsons has provided "a great example" of how college ath- letes should approach money management. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL