Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons joked back in December about displaying all of the jerseys and awards he’s accumulated over his first pro season. They’ll go in “a nice little closet” in his man cave, he said.
That closet is getting more crowded all the time.
The Cowboys phenom is among the winners of the 101 Awards for the 2021 NFL season, it was announced Tuesday. Parsons was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year by the committee comprised of 101 members of the national media.
The 101 Awards have honored the top players and coaches each regular season since 1969, making it the longest-running awards event dedicated exclusively to the NFL.
The winners in this, the 52nd year for the awards, are:
- AFC Offensive Player of the Year: RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
- NFC Offensive Player of the Year: WR Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
- AFC Defensive Player of the Year: LB T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
- NFC Defensive Player of the Year: LB Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
- AFC Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
- NFC Coach of the Year: Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
Another group or individual to be named later will also be honored with the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football, for significant contributions to the NFL.
Parsons was a dominant force in his first pro season, ranking second leaguewide in pressure percentage and sack percentage. He set a new sack record for Cowboys rookies and ended the 2021 season tied for third-most sacks by a rookie across all teams, all-time. Parsons was named to the Pro Bowl and was also a first-team All-Pro selection, the only rookie so honored.
The 101 Awards will be presented in March in Kansas City at a gala event benefiting The University of Kansas Health System.