“It gets really lonely in the league” Micah Parsons explains his mental struggles with adjusting to the NFL
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Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons was drafted #12 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. Being selected so high in the draft is a massive achievement but comes with just as big expectations. To say that Parsons delivered would be an understatement.
Micah Parsons finished the season with 84 total tackles and 20 tackles for loss, 3rd amongst all defenders. Along with that, he brought in 13 sacks and 30 QB hits. While he’s renowned for his pass-rushing ability, Parsons also produced when playing in coverage.
Allowing a conversion percentage of just 23% when he’s the primary defender along with a 71.5 passer rating and no touchdowns allowed, it’s clear to see why Micah Parson was the Defensive Rookie of the Year for 2021. His play on the field was absolutely stellar but that’s not the whole story.
The NFL is as much a physical game as it is a mental game and many rookies struggle transitioning to the league from college for that reason alone. Micah Parsons recently revealed how he felt during that transition period.
Micah Parsons reveals his difficulties with transitioning to the NFL
Appearing on a ‘Bleacher Report’ interview with Taylor Rooks, Micah Parsons was asked about his perception of the NFL to which he responded with “I thought it was a family thing. I came from college and I thought it would be so much like, tighter between people. But really, it kinda gets lonely in the league.”
Parsons further added “You don’t really have nobody. You kinda have friends that you have at work but outside of work, you might have one or two guys that you hang out with. All throughout camp was fun because we were all there together but around when the Jaylen Smith thing happened, I was like, damn.”
It’s very interesting to get a true insight into what it’s like for the players. Because all we see as fans is how they are on Sunday and in practice. We just assume that it’s somewhat like that all the time and yes, there are players who remain very close to their teammates all the time but, that clearly isn’t the case for everyone.
To be able to adjust to that and put up the numbers he did is truly spectacular. Not to mention to battle through a lingering knee injury throughout the season shows the caliber of player Parsons is. Now we can only wait for the 2022 seasons to come around with him hopefully fully adjusted and healthy, ready to tear up the league once again.
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