The No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Micah Parsons is one of the most famous players James Franklin coached at Penn State.
Parsons was traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers at the start of the 2025 season and promptly signed the richest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history.
After Penn State fired Franklin on Sunday, Parsons spoke out in support of his former head coach.
“Regardless of the situation at hand, this one doesn’t feel right to me! Coach deserved better! Myself and countless others wouldn’t be where we are today without Coach! Thank you. #Weareforever!” he wrote on social media.
Parsons joined Penn State in 2018 as a five-star prospect and played just two years due to opting out of the pandemic-impacted 2020 season. He was a freshman All-American in 2018 and a consensus All-American in 2019.
A Pro Bowler in each of his first four years with the Dallas Cowboys, Parsons was additionally the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and has twice been a first-team All-Pro selection.
Messages of support for Franklin, who was in his 12th season at Penn State, poured out quickly from many current and former players.
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