When Micah Parsons answered the phone ahead of Pick No. 12, it felt like this moment was written in the stars.

Parsons and his entire family sat in a green room in Cleveland for the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and watched with baited breath as the Cowboys traded back from Pick No. 10 to 12.

“Emotions are at an all time high right now,” said Micah’s father, Terrence. “When the Cowboys traded that tenth pick, I was sick. I was sick. Then when Chicago traded up, I was like oh, it’s about to happen. After the Bears picked Justin Fields, the phone rang. It was Jerry Jones. That just set the tone from there.”

There was anxious energy. Micah had posted on social media throughout the winter about wanting to play for the Dallas Cowboys. He played his last Penn State game inside AT&T Stadium in the 2019 Cotton Bowl, and he wanted to start his NFL career in the same place.

(It also helps that dad, Terrence, raised Micah as a Cowboys fan).

Then, Micah’s phone rang; Jerry Jones was on the other line. Micah would stay in blue & white and play in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys.

“He’s going to give them everything he’s got,” Terrence said. “He’s one of those kids that’s determined. He wants to be there. Once you give him the opportunity, he’s going to show the world.”

As Micah looks towards his future in the NFL, he’s already checking boxes off his goals list. He was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the first Penn State linebacker to go in the first round since LaVar Arrington in 2000.

Now his sights are set on a new goal: Rookie of the Year. When he’s conquered that, it’s on to Super Bowl Champion with the Dallas Cowboys.