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Dallas Cowboys rookie sensation Micah Parsons burst onto the NFL scene this year. The linebacker out of Penn State excelled in his first NFL season, being selected for both the NFL's Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro.
Given his staggering early success, its natural for many to compare him to various all-time great defensive players. However, the 22-year-old dislikes being analyzed in the same bracket as NFL legends, instead preferring to write his own, unique story.
Parsons took to Twitter to express his distate for the practice of calling young players "the next Parsons", asking that fans take a break from their constant comparisons.
"We gotta cut this next Micah parsons bs!! Let me be me for a little bit first ! Damn!," he wrote.
Parsons had unbelievable rookie season
Parsons played all but one of the Cowboys' 17 regular season games, totaling 13 sacks, three forced fumbles, 20 tackles for loss and 30 quarterback hits. Parsons then appeared in their single playoff loss to Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers in the wildcard.
The linebacker broke the franchise record for sacks by a rookie in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders, an accolade previously held by Cowboys superstar DeMarcus Ware. Parsons also narrowly missed out on the all-time rookie sack record, finishing 1.5 sacks short of Jevon Kearse's high mark of 14.5 sacks.
His ability to rush the passer and play as a linebacker provides defensive coordinator Dan Quinn with a wonderful safety net of versatility. His quickness, strength and speed make him a difficult match up for any offensive line.
With his fantastic ability to rush the quarterback, he was often used off the edge, despite being drafted as a linebacker. Parsons tallied a sack in 10 out of 17 games this season. He also registered multiple sacks on three separate occasions and notched a quarterback hit in all but three games.
Parsons only has one season under his belt, but the rookie sensation already looks destined for a very productive NFL career if he keeps up his high level of play. Unfortunately, he shouldn't expect the comparisons to ease up anytime soon.
