Micah Parsons

Early life

Parsons was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on May 26, 1999. He attended Central Dauphin High School for his freshman and sophomore years, before transferring to Harrisburg High School where he started at both defensive end and running back.

As a senior, Parsons posted 1,239 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns (tied for ninth in the state), 99 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. Parsons also played varsity basketball.

He was a five-star recruit and was ranked #4 in his class by 247Sports.com and #7 by ESPN. Parsons was recruited by Nebraska, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama, and Penn State. On December 19, it was reported that Ohio State had committed NCAA violations because the university allowed him on the set of ESPN's College GameDay to take a picture with analyst Kirk Herbstreit. As Herbstreit is a former Ohio State University quarterback, this was a violation of NCAA rules, as recruits are not allowed to have contact with members of the media associated with potential college teams. As a result, Ohio State agreed to no longer recruit Parsons.

Penn State University offered Parsons a football scholarship after just four games of his freshman season. He initially committed in the spring of 2016, then decommitted, before recommitting again on December 20, 2017. He graduated Harrisburg High School seven months early to expedite the enrollment process.

College career

After committing to Penn State, Parsons was informed by head coach James Franklin that he would start his Penn State career at middle linebacker rather than defensive end, which he played in high school. Parsons was in contention for the starting job even though he was a true freshman. In his freshman year, Parsons only started one out of 13 games for the Nittany Lions, but managed to lead the team in tackles with 82, while also making 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumbles. He became the first Nittany Lion to ever lead the team in tackles as a freshman. He started at outside linebacker against Rutgers University, after junior linebacker Cam Brown was disciplined because of a rules violation incident, with Parsons making 7 tackles (2 for loss) and a strip-sack. He had 14 tackles (one for loss) and a strip-sack against the University of Kentucky in the 2019 Citrus Bowl. He finished second in the Big Ten Freshman of the Year voting behind wide receiver Rondale Moore.

Prior to the start of his sophomore season, Parsons was named to the Butkus Award preseason watch list. He started 12 out of 13 games at middle linebacker, totaling 109 tackles (14 for loss), five sacks, 26 quarterback hurries, five deflected passes, and four forced fumbles. Parsons went on to be named the Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year (given to the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year) and a consensus All-American. Parsons was named the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic defensive MVP after recording 14 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles.

He opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and declined his remaining years of college eligibility in favor of making himself available to the NFL in the 2021 draft. Despite leaving Penn State early to enter the NFL, Parsons completed his degree in criminology and graduated from Penn State in 2021.

Personal life

In May 2018, Parsons became the father of a son, Malcolm. Parsons cited the risk that COVID-19 presented to the health and well-being of his son Malcolm as a major factor in his decision to opt out participation in the 2020 college football season. Parsons welcomed a daughter on January 14, 2023. Parsons is a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is a fan of Penn State wrestling, the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia 76ers.

Parsons is a Christian. After his ACL injury, he said, “I may be sidelined, but I am not defeated. This injury is my greatest test — a moment God allowed to strengthen my testimony. I believe He walks with me through this storm and chose me for this fight because He knew my heart could carry it. I’m deeply grateful to the Packers organization and my teammates for their unwavering support, love, and belief in me during this season. I trust His timing, His plan, and His purpose. I will rise again.”

In October 2020, Parsons' teammate Isaiah Humphries filed a lawsuit against Penn State University, alleging that he had been hazed by teammates. Although not mentioned in the suit, Humphries claimed that Parsons was among the players he had been victimized and harassed by. In April 2021, Parsons stated in an interview "They were false allegations. There's nothing pending against me, there's nothing I would lie about."

On December 8, 2022, the United States announced a prisoner swap with Russia, which led to the release of WNBA basketball player, Brittney Griner from a Russian prison. In response, Parsons expressed disappointment that the US did not secure the release of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine held in Russia, as part of the prisoner swap. On Twitter, Parsons wrote "Wait nah!! We left a marine?? Hell Nah." Whelan would later be released in August 2024 in the 2024 Ankara prisoner exchange.

On February 16, 2024, Parsons played in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game. Parsons shot 17 of 31 and finished with 37 points, 16 rebounds and four steals in the 100–91 victory. This performance earned him the Most Valuable Player award for the game. On May 14, 2024, Parsons signed a multi-year extension deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, making him president of their American football digital sports media division, B/R Gridiron. Parsons is a self-taught chess player, who uses the game to cultivate his game on the football field.

In 2026, Parsons stated that he has a foot fetish.