Dallas Cowboys: 3 fun moments from the first episode of Hard Knocks
By Mitch Larson
After much anticipation, the new season of HBO’s Hard Knocks featuring the Dallas Cowboys has arrived. Fans finally got to have an up-close and unfiltered look at the team’s training camp in Oxnard and boy oh boy, it did not disappoint.
Some of the best parts of Hard Knocks have always been the more fun, light-hearted scenes that show viewers the friendship, comradery, quirks, and fun that make up life in an NFL training camp. In that mold, here are three moments from the first episode that I found particularly entertaining:
1. Micah Parsons’ enthusiasm
There were two moments starring rookie linebacker Micah Parsons that you just absolutely have to love if you are a Dallas Cowboys fan, and both occurred during the Hall of Fame game.
The first was when linebacker Leighton Vander Esch told Parsons that he needs to learn which plays are his to make and which aren’t, to which the rookie responded by telling him that he thinks they all are.
Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch to Micah Parsons during the Hall of Fame Game: “You’re trying to make all the plays. You’re trying to make every play. You gotta know when it’s your play to make.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 11, 2021
Parsons: “I’m still young. I be thinking all plays are my plays.”
The second was when Parsons was begging defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to keep him in the game. Quinn was smart for pulling him in the first preseason game when he did, but you have to love it when a player has a motor like Parsons. The former Nittany Lion’s passion and confidence are evident and it’s clear that he genuinely wants to get every rep he can in order to improve as much as possible.
If there were any concerns about Parsons’ motivation after opting out of his final season at Penn State, they should be alleviated. The rookie linebacker seems fired up and ready to go for the Dallas Cowboys.