Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons is ready for a new important role

Week Two of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) for the Dallas Cowboys have come and gone, offering up much more excitement than what the May practices provided.

This week saw big plays coming from Malik Hooker, Simi Fehoko and even buzz about rookie first round pick, Tyler Smith. However, it wasn’t the play on the practice field that caught the attention of media and fans. It was words from a young and already blossomed superstar, Micah Parsons.

Micah Parsons looks to be a more vocal leader on the Dallas Cowboys – now that he’s not just a rookie

All-Pro Micah Parsons is already embracing a more veteran role, despite it only be year two for the young linebacker.

The Dallas Cowboys 2021 sack leader expressed his reluctance to say too much last season, citing his status as a rookie and needing to listen to veterans rather than being the one to speak. Now he’s the one standing up in the locker room and film room to motivate his teammates.

Part of being a vocal leader in a league as polarizing as the NFL means dealing with the media. At the end of last week, Parsons had the D/FW credentialed eating out of the palm of his big lion paws.

Here are three quotes and moments from Micah Parsons to DFW Media that show his growth as a leader of the Dallas Cowboys…

Micah Parsons turned 23 years old during the first week of OTAs. A young player, who had the type of season Parsons did as a Dallas Cowboy rookie, may relish in the accomplishments. They may even play off the success of their rookie year as a sign of why year two will be better.

Not Micah Parsons. Instead, he states the truth. 2021 no longer matters. His accomplishments from last year do nothing for him in 2022. Forget last year, as Parsons said.

Often times the sports cliché of having a “short term memory” applies to quickly recover from poor play. Forget the mistakes and move on. In this case, Parsons is using it as a tool for his growth. Don’t get caught up in past success.

Micah Parsons quote two – Lifting up the younger guys:

Many fans and media were, and are, skeptical of the Dallas Cowboys pick at No. 24 this year. Tyler Smith has all the traits be an NFL player, but will he be ready to start week 1 and perform at an NFL capable level?

Smith certainly isn’t a finished product, and Parsons doesn’t at all overhype him or make him out to be one. He simply gives us a morsel of positivity in some of Smith’s first work with the team. Here, Parsons does what a good teammate and leader does.

Things like this may seem small. Ok, they don’t seem small, they are small. Didn’t you ever save your change in a jar though? Cents turn into dollars. A rookie’s confidence can waver, especially with the pressure of being a first round pick. Tyler Smith’s new teammate is helping in this regard.

Parsons words go to media. Media, in turn, quotes Parsons to the public. Suddenly there’s positive talk about Tyler Smith. Good teammate. Good leadership and can only help the rook’s confidence.

And finally…

Micah challenges the defense’s cornerstone veteran:

DeMarcus Lawrence has been looked at as the leader of this defense for years, especially since the departure of Sean Lee. But even with Lee’s presence, Lawrence was always a lead by example type of player.

So when the Dallas Cowboys best defensive lineman sees he may no longer be the most well rounded player, or even the best pass rusher on the team anymore, he lets it be known that he will work to reclaim his place as the Dallas Cowboys best defender.

Some younger players may hear the elder in the room speak and back down. They may pass it off as playful banter, have a good laugh and say a couple of words that won’t rub the alpha in the room the wrong way.

Again, Parsons takes an appropriate stand here.

Lawrence makes a challenging statement by mentioning Parsons. Micah rebuts by basically saying, “anything you can do, I can do better.” And now it’s on. The kind of in-house competition that breeds elite production.

The most exciting part of these quotes? Usually fans don’t want lips service. Prove it on the field or the words are worth nothing. But it’s Micah Parsons. Everyone is confident that will be proven where it matters.

That’s just one of the many, vast differences between fans or media and Micah Parsons. He may very well be forgetting about what he did in 2021, but none of the rest of us have.

He’s a player that has unanimous faith across the board from virtually any and every person affiliated with the Dallas Cowboys. Whether it be teammates, coaches, the front office, media or fans.

It’s always better when it’s the ones you believe in most who are doing the talking.