Even though he seems to have mastered the art of the pass rush, the premiere defender of the Dallas Cowboys, Micah Parsons, maintains that he is always learning and willing to grow. In an attempt to glean some knowledge from his elders, the star DE sat down with the renowned Mark Cuban to discuss any and all things business-related.
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Seeing as their conversation comes in the wake of Parsons’ attempt at a contract extension with the Cowboys, it’s safe to say that he was all ears throughout the Sports Illustrated interview. However, while taking the time to exchange their personal motivations, Parsons noted that it is his mother, more so than finances, that ultimately motivates him.
“Seeing my mom, she was just constantly grinding. I was able to visualize it. I used to see her wake up at 2:30 in the morning to go deliver newspapers… I was in an inner-city school. We had no structure,” Parsons recalled.
Despite having earned his way into one of the nation’s most recognizable programs in Penn State, a young Parsons still had doubts. After having faced adversity for the majority of his life up to that point, he was tired and wanted to give up.
Thankfully, his mother was stern yet loving enough to inform him that he had no other choice but to succeed.
“When I first went to college, I wanted to give up because I wasn’t used to discipline. I called my mom and I said ‘Mom, this is so hard. I think I’m ready to come home.’ She said ‘You can not come back home. Whatever you start, you finish,‘” Parsons added.
Naturally, of course, mom’s intuition proved to be correct. The once undisciplined prospect is now one of the most productive edge rushers in the NFL today and actively looks forward to “the process.”
Now that preparation has become more of a way of life than a concept, the 26 year old insists that he no longer worries about feeling any sort of external pressure. Simply put, Parsons is trusting the work that he puts in.
“I don’t feel pressure. Pressure is something you feel if you are lacking preparation. I never felt like I was unprepared for my moment. I’m going to come out in practice and I’m going to do everything that y’all mentally and physically need to see from me to show you how to do this sh*t right.”
Should the team’s owner, president, and general manager, Jerry Jones, hope to keep it that way, then he’ll likely have to pay up sooner than later. Parsons has begun to skip out on the voluntary practices to start the season.
While he was technically a no show for the first practice, he did arrive at the team’s facility following its conclusion to meet with various teammates and personnel. For a player that has proven himself to be as dedicated to the process as Parsons, his current hold-out situation with the team suggests that he’s rightfully due for a pay increase.
Considering that he is the very thing that has anchored the Cowboys’ defense for the better part of the last five years, perhaps it’s in the best interest of everyone if Jones simply pays what he owes.
