Micah Parsons recalls emotional reaction to getting drafted by Cowboys

With the 2022 NFL Draft around the corner, a lot of the NFL world has been buzzing with mock drafts, prospect profiles, and trade rumors. But there’s also been some content that allows fans and players to reminisce on last year’s draft. To teams around the league, the draft is a time for business to be done.  For collegiate players, this time of year represents a life-changing opportunity. It represents a chance to be rewarded for years of hard work. The Dallas Cowboys former first-round pick, Micah Parsons, had one of those incredible moments last year.

The NFL recently posted a video from their “Hey Rookie Welcome to the NFL” segments on Twitter showing Parsons’ reaction to getting drafted by the Cowboys, and it’s very emotional. It starts with the Penn State product saying that he wants Dallas and that he will cry if he gets that call. Moments later, his phone rings and Jerry Jones is on the other end.

“This is all I’ve ever wanted man,” Parsons said to Jones. He then puts his head in his hands and begins to cry. His family is jumping for joy and recording the moment. It’s truly a special moment for the young gun. Maybe it’s just me. But there’s something about seeing a 6-3, 245-pound man cry that really gets you.

As he’s on the phone with Jerry, Parsons’ son Malcolm comes up to him and the linebacker envelops his kid in a big hug. Tissues, anyone? Parsons retweeted the video expressing how important the moment was to him.

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons reminisces on the emotional phone call with Jerry Jones from the moment he got drafted in 2021

“We’ve sure enjoyed watching how you progressed in your career and you have great support in this room. So, we’re proud to get you. Coach Quinn is smiling from ear to ear,” the Cowboys GM said on the phone. Little did Quinn know that smile would remain as he watched Parsons have a breakout rookie year.

It’s really special to watch this video after seeing how aggressive, hungry, and strong Parsons is on the field. Behind the uniform, these players have hearts. It shows how powerful these draft moments really are for collegiate prospects. After Jones said his speech, he handed the phone to Mike McCarthy. McCarthy congratulated the fellow Pennsylvania man and told him to enjoy the moment with his family. Parsons followed that up with a (now unsurprising, knowing his personality) “let’s get to work right now!”

After the Nittany Lion hangs up the phone. he gets a giant hug from all of his family members. Then, he walks on stage, asks Roger Goodell if he’s ready, and hilariously jumps into the commissioner’s arms. I don’t think Goodell was ready for that hug, but it was still adorable.

That was just the beginning of Parsons’ story. We had no clue he would go on to put out one of the most historic defensive rookie campaigns in NFL history. These videos remind football fans that while it is important for your team to do well in the draft, behind all of the politics are young men just hoping to get a shot at a life-changing opportunity. We look forward to seeing more of these remarkable moments at the end of April. If the Cowboys can pull off drafting another player like Parsons, we will be jumping for joy, too.