Cowboys legend Demarcus Ware sees shades of himself in Micah Parsons

Former Penn State Football All American Micah Parsons already has the attention of an NFL legend, following his Dallas Cowboys debut

Micah Parsons is already one of the Dallas Cowboys’ most dominant defensive players, and he was all over the field in Week 1 against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which was no surprise to former seven-time All-Pro Demarcus Ware.

“He’s a kid who has been through a lot,” Ware said, during a recent appearance on FanSided’s The Matt Lombardo Show podcast. “[Is] still going through a lot, but that tenacity plays in his game just like I did.”

While Parsons has a long way to go to replicate Ware’s production, he did finish as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 ranked pass-rushing linebacker in Week 1, with an 81.4 pass-rush grade.

Prior to his seven tackle performance, where he also generated three pressures in 13 pass-rush snaps, Parsons put in added work, training with Ware head of his NFL debut.

“I’ve got to work with him a few days ago,” Ware said. “To see him learn the pass-rush moves, put the things in his toolbox was really cool to see.”

Can Micah Parsons become an elite NFL linebacker?

If Parsons can replicate the success he had, arriving on Penn State‘s campus as the nation’s No. 1 ranked defensive end and a consensus five-star prospect, before immediately moving to inside linebacker and becoming a first-team All-American in just two seasons, he has the chance to be a transformative player for the Cowboys’ rebuilt defense.

“When you talk about a guy with so much athleticism and speed, you think about pass-rush,” Ware says of Parsons. “He can also stop the run, which I really like. That’s what people wouldn’t expect out of someone with so much athleticism and can get after the quarterback. That makes him a great, diverse player.”