NFL star Micah Parsons 'still mastering' intricacies of pickleball
Defensive end Micah Parsons' return to AT&T Stadium in Dallas was the major story this past week in the NFL.
The Cowboys, of course, traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in late August after four seasons in the Lone Star State, which sent shockwaves around the league.
The four-time Pro Bowler is a man of many hobbies and interests, including pickleball, and he even joined the ownership group of MLP's Texas Ranchers back in 2023.
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Parsons credits his agent, David Mulugheta, with introducing him to America's fastest-growing sport.
"David had a pickleball event like two years ago in Austin. We all came down, and that kind of like sparked my interest," said Parsons, during a conversation with CBS Sports football analyst, Bryant McFadden, in July. "As it started growing, I ended up getting a stake in the Ranchers, and that's when I really started getting involved, wanting to be around it, learning more about it."
The 26-year-old Penn State product even incorporated pickleball into his offseason training regimen.
"I'm playing like two, three times a week," confirmed Parsons, who believes he's among the NFL's top pickleball athletes. "It's like great cardio playing singles. I'm addicted."
Confidence aside, though, he knows that he still has a lot to learn about the game.
"I think I'm an okay player. I've played against some pros and some really good players, so I'm like okay. There's levels to it," mentioned Parsons. "Pickleball is all about touch. It ain't really about how strong you can hit it. It's about touch, feel, placement. It's strategic. I'm still mastering it. It's hard."
Fortunately, his new Packers teammates, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, can definitely help him sharpen his pickleball skills down the road.
Both tight ends enjoy hitting the court at The Picklr in Green Bay, which is located just two miles away from Lambeau Field on Holmgren Way.
“It’s just an easy sport to play for a long time,” said Kraft, during an exclusive chat with Pickleball.com in May. “As long as you’re having fun, it doesn’t really matter how competitive the games get or who you’re playing with.”
