Dallas Cowboys: Top 3 takeaways from the final episode of Hard Knocks

1. Micah Parsons really wants to be great

If I had to pick a single favorite moment of this episode, it would likely be getting to see rookie linebacker Micah Parsons meet with future Hall of Famer and Dallas Cowboys great, DeMarcus Ware. The scene comes early in the episode and in it, Parsons is seen with Ware working on his pass rush and getting advice on playing against Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.

It’s clear that Parsons has reverence for the Cowboys’ all-time leader in sacks, and knows he can learn a lot from him. One quote from the rookie really stuck with me after the credits were rolling:

"“You’re not gonna wake up and be the greatest today. You’re not gonna wake up and be the greatest tomorrow. Somebody going to teach you the ropes. So, for me, I’m like, I’ve got to learn from him.”"

With everything that Hard Knocks has shown us about Micah Parsons, it feels apparent that he embraces feedback and wants to get better. After the first episode, I wrote about how great it was to see Parsons’ enthusiasm on full display and it continues to come through here.

You have to love his passion but more than that you have to love that he doesn’t just say he wants to be a great player, he clearly wants to put the work in to be great. As eager as the rookie seems to be to prove himself, it feels apparent that he also knows he still can improve and is hungry to do so.

https://twitter.com/NFLFilms/status/1435321914562686980?s=20

Also, a bit of a side note here, but it’s absolutely crazy to me that Ware played his last NFL snap back in 2016, but he still looks like he could 100% suit up today and go toe to toe with any tackle in football.