Here’s why Penn State LB Micah Parsons’ spot as a Butkus Award finalist is so unique
Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons made a little bit of history Monday.
The sophomore was named one of six finalists for the Butkus Award, given annually to the top linebacker in college football, making him the Nittany Lions’ first finalist in 12 years. He is also the only finalist who is an underclassman; every other finalist is in his fourth or fifth season.
“Blessed beyond belief!” Parsons wrote on Twitter. “Just want to thank god, all my teammates who pushed me!”
Among the other 2019 finalists are Wisconsin OLB Zack Baun (redshirt senior), Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks (senior), Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons (redshirt junior), Cal MLB Evan Weaver (senior) and Wyoming LB Logan Wilson (redshirt senior). Parsons is a true sophomore who first took up the position last year, after dominating in high school as a defensive end.
Parsons boasts a team-leading 85 tackles this season — 17 more than runner-up Garrett Taylor — and he has 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, three breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Three times this season he earned spots on the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week — against Purdue, Pitt and Ohio State — and he was a Rivals Midseason All-American.
“He is nowhere near his ceiling, he really isn’t, and he’s improved dramatically,” head coach James Franklin said last month. “But the exciting thing is there’s a lot more left in the tank.”
According to the Butkus Award’s official website, the winner will be announced “on or before” Dec. 10. The winner is decided by a committee of 51 experts, comprised of scouts, general managers, media members and coaches such as New England’s Bill Belichick and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz.
Parsons is the first Penn State finalist since Dan Connor in 2007, and he’s the seventh Nittany Lion to ever become a finalist. The others include some of the best linebackers to play in Happy Valley, including Shane Conlan (1986), Andre Collins (1989), Brandon Short (1999), LaVar Arrington (1999), Paul Posluszny (2006) and Connor (2007).
Arrington is the only Nittany Lion to ever win the award, in 1999. And he’s been a big fan of Parsons.
“He is to me — and I want to be careful in saying this — he is almost like the closest thing to me coming out of high school,” Arrington told PennLive last year. “I look at him as a generational player.”
Parsons will have one final chance to make another impact on the committee Saturday, when the Nittany Lions take on Rutgers in the final game of the regular season. That game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. at Beaver Stadium.
This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 3:16 PM.
