Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons has firmly established himself as one of the top linebackers in the NFL today. Along with this honor comes a seemingly unyeilding level of criticism which the 25-year-old has had to endure for pretty much his entire career.
For his part, however, Parsons has taken it all in stride. In fact, the two-time All-Pro LB recently revealed that all the criticism only helps him reach new heights.
Dallas Cowboys News: Micah Parsons’ Inspiring Message
Everything Parsons does — both on and off the field — is magnified. Such is the price you pay for being an elite-level player. This also entails having to listen to all the criticism that has been thrown in his direction.
At this point in his career, however, Parsons has learned to cope with all this. In fact, he’s now able to use all the negativity as fuel to push him even further:
“The criticism is a privilege because sometimes a great standard is not good enough for those who are greater,” Parsons said, via Sophia vesely of The Dallas Morning News. “When people want things, you have to answer the call. It is not a negative thing. It is the most positive thing people can say to me because it pushes me and challenges me to be better.
“It is a great privilege for someone to say, ‘Hey, you are great, but you can be greater.’”
Those are some wise words coming from a young man who has clearly been battle tested — both physically and mentally.
This should be a message for Parsons’ naysayers as well. All the criticism is doing nothing but making him an even better player and a better man than he already is.