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Parsons spearheads game-changing performance by Penn State's linebackers

Good luck convincing Micah Parsons that there’s something on a football field he can’t excel at.

The Penn State sophomore spent his high school years dominating at defensive end and running back, and has lobbied for time on the Nittany Lions’ kick return unit, too, since arriving at school.

“I believe I can do anything,” Parsons said. “I believe I can play running back here...I believe I can do anything so I have full faith in myself, and it feels good when the coaches and players have that faith in you too.”

Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons
Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons

Multitalented and versatile as Parsons is, Saturday may have been the best performance of his career at linebacker, where Penn State needs him to excel.

He helped spearhead a game-changing effort from Penn State’s linebackers. The Nittany Lions’ three starters — Parsons, Cam Brown and Jan Johnson — combined for 21 tackles.

Penn State’s defensive line found itself unable to get to Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett for most of the game, so Johnson and Brown picked up the slack, coming away with sacks on back-to-back plays.

But, perhaps most profoundly, Parsons and Penn State’s linebacking corps helped sap Pittsburgh of its offensive identity. The Panthers, with a reputation for running the ball well under Pat Narduzzi, ran the ball 25 times for 24 yards.

“You know you’ve got to give them credit,” Narduzzi said after the game. “You go back and watch the tape and really make decisions on what happened there, decide what happened there, but again give them credit. You need the front seven, which was pretty good. We didn’t run the ball effectively early in the game.”

There simply weren’t many gaps for the Panthers to run through, and when there were, Parsons, Brown and Johnson closed them emphatically.

Parsons played 61 of the Nittany Lions’ 79 snaps on defense, with Brown playing 53. That’s about in line with their participation last week against Buffalo, which indicates just how crucial those players are to a defense that certainly doesn’t mind rotating players in for the sake of keeping everyone fresh.

When you factor in that Pittsburgh’s offense was on the field for over 34 minutes Saturday, that’s a lot of football for Parsons — not that he’s worried about it.

“Football’s the only sport where you practice and work out more than you actually play,” he said, adding that he’d rather play next week than have a bye. “Any time I get the potential chance to play, I want to play. I don’t want to ever come out.”

If he plays like he did Saturday — with a team high nine-tackles as well as two tackles for loss — James Franklin and company won’t ever want to take him out, either.

“I knew I had a great gift of talent, and the coaches have been helping me learn,” Parsons said. “I’m just trying to show the people what I’ve learned, and I’m trying to be here now. I’m just trying to the best of my ability.”


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