Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
1 1 2 A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State alums will start training camp in NFL cities this month. It's a safe bet that most of those players enjoyed some downtime follow- ing the 2023 season. Few, however, have maximized their offseason the way Micah Parsons has. The former Nittany Lion All- American, who enters his fourth pro cam- paign in 2024, did a little bit of everything. He podcasted at the Super Bowl. Then, he was named the MVP of the NBA's celeb- rity All-Star game. From there, he hosted an NFL Draft podcast and then traveled with Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud to China and Japan. Highlights of those trips included a visit to the Great Wall of China, a youth football camp, and, infamously, a sumo wrestling exhibition. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy wasn't a part of those adventures, but he said he's "been in touch" with the All-Pro de- fender during his globetrotting offseason. "We talked about the … experience of being over there [in Asia]. That's a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity," McCarthy said. "I think any of our guys that have that type of opportunity to broaden their horizons, I'd be the first one to tell them to go." It was not all rainbows and roses for Parsons this offseason, however. There was a brief — and seemingly now quashed — spat with a teammate. During an ap- pearance on Keyshawn Johnson's "All Facts No Brakes" podcast, safety Malik Hooker questioned Parsons' commitment to the Cowboys' team goals. "My advice for Micah would be: Just make sure we're all right, and being where your feet are," Hooker told Johnson dur- ing the late-June appearance. "Because if we're out working, and the run game's terrible but you're doing a podcast every week — and you know the run game is terrible — then what are you really caring about? Are you caring about the crowd that's watching your podcast, or are you caring about the success of our team, and the Super Bowl that we're trying to reach?" Parsons offered a response that he later deleted, but not before it was captured by numerous media outlets. "Just wish you said this to me instead of on some podcast!" Parsons wrote in a tweet that was reported by The Dallas Morning News. "And you got my [phone] number! … And you my locker mate! So you coulda said this any day! And you do realize I shoot the podcast on our off day! Why ain't we talking about everyone's preparations and focus." Dallas reports to training camp in late July. Parsons and Hooker, collegiate rivals when they were at Penn State and Ohio State, respectively, will again team up to lead the Dallas defense. Parsons, a three-time All-Pro, has 213 tackles in 50 NFL games. He also has 40.5 sacks, 89 quarterback hits and 7 forced fumbles. This past February, Parsons finished After A Globetrotting Offseason, Micah Parsons Gets Back To Work With Cowboys G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M PSU IN THE PROS Getting set for his fourth NFL season, Parsons is a three-time All-Pro with 213 tackles in 50 games, including 40.5 sacks. PHOTO COURTESY DALLAS COWBOYS