UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Sophomore Micah Parsons garnered Walter Camp All-America second team honors Thursday evening. He is the first Nittany Lion to claim All-America honors since Saquon Barkley was a first-team honoree in 2017.
The native of Harrisburg earned the Big Ten Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection. He is the first sophomore to win Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and the third Nittany Lion to claim the award, joining Michael Mauti (2012) and Mike Hull (2014). Parsons was also a finalist for the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker.
For the second-straight season, Parsons is leading the Nittany Lions in tackles with 85. He also has 10.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. Parsons ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 7.7 tackles per game. He has five games with 10 or more tackles this season. He is one of 22 players in FBS and two in the Big Ten (Dele Harding, Illinois) to total at least 80 tackles and 10 tackles for loss this season. He is the first Penn State player to do so since Mike Hull in 2014 and is the seventh Penn Stater to accomplish the feat since 2000.
Parsons was named a Rivals Midseason All-American. He was selected to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week first team following the Purdue game and second team after the Pitt victory.
The No. 10 Nittany Lions head to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl to face No. 17 Memphis on Dec. 28 at noon on ESPN. For information on Cotton Bowl tickets, visit GoPSUsports.com/bowlcentral.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and reserving new 2020 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m-4:30 p.m.
