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Micah Parsons became the heart and soul of the Dallas Cowboys defense since joining the team in 2021. He has been an All-Pro member and Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons, thanks mainly to his 40.5 sacks, 142 solo tackles, seven forced fumbles, and eight passes defended.
More importantly, Parsons hasn’t missed a game in his NFL career as of the 2023 season. Likewise, his competitive fire drives him to be the best on the field, regardless of the sport. That’s why he was the 2024 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP, finishing with 37 points, 16 rebounds, and four steals.
But he did not dominate that game because he is 6’ 3” and 245 pounds. Instead, he did play competitive basketball for Harrisburg High School in Pennsylvania. While his height would make him a guard in the NBA, he dominated the paint as a center for the Harrisburg Cougars.
In a January 2017 article by PennLive.com’s Ryan Baillargeon, the then-17-year-old Micah Parsons described his style of play after a victory over Carlisle High School:
“I just played my role. I would get putbacks, grab rebounds, do a little bit of work down low.”
Imposing his will on the shaded area, Parsons gained 25 points in that one-point win over one of their basketball rivals. Baillargeon noted that Parsons excelled even if he was shorter than his opponents down low by a few inches.
Unfortunately, his high school basketball career met a roadblock after injuring his ankle on the final play of their December 2017 game against Abington Heights. According to PennLive.com’s Brian Linder, Micah Parsons gathered a defensive rebound before making an outlet pass to a teammate for a game-tying three-pointer.
The shot did not go through the hoop, handing Harrisburg a 66-63 defeat. Worst yet, Parsons went down while clutching his ankle in pain after stepping on the foot of an Abington Heights player after getting the board. He left the gym in crutches while ice covered his injured right ankle.
That game was his last stint in high school basketball. His coach, Kirk Smallwood, didn’t want to risk his condition because Parsons had already committed to play football for Penn State by then.
As a senior at Harrisburg, Parsons played both running back and defensive lineman. He finished with 1,239 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns, 55 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and an interception.
Will Micah Parsons reset the market with his contract extension?
The 2024 NFL season will be the final year under Parsons’ four-year, $17 million rookie scale contract. While the Dallas Cowboys will likely exercise their fifth-year option on him, the Pennsylvania native is already eligible for a contract extension after playing three NFL seasons.
While retaining Micah Parsons’ services must be a priority for team owner Jerry Jones, the terms of his second contract are still unknown. But given his tenacity in his first three seasons, he could command top dollar from the Cowboys.
As of writing, Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt has the highest annual average salary among outside linebackers at $28,002,750. Parsons could get a deal with the same, if not higher, average than Watt’s deal.
