As Dallas Cowboys OTAs begin, Micah Parsons trains like a boxer with clear goal in mind (2024)

ALLEN — Hidden Gym is tucked near the back corner of a strip mall, a church on one side and appliance-furniture-mattress superstore on the other. Beyond the front door that requires a membership bar code for entry, green turf leads to a black, white and red boxing ring where Micah Parsons stood Monday morning, dressed in a Navy blue sweatshirt, black pants, black Adidas shoes and golden gloves.

His whereabouts were no mystery to the Cowboys.

Parsons is not hiding.

For a second straight year, the All-Pro hybrid defensive end has skipped the start of spring workouts in favor of more individualized training. Boxing with local coach Tony Mack remains a key part of his regimen. Parsons and Mack believe they are building upon the pair’s 2023 collaboration that saw Parsons report to the Cowboys in excellent shape with more suddenness and violence in his hands.

On Tuesday, the Cowboys will continue their program by beginning organized team activities. OTAs mark the first time drills like 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 can be held, although the competitive action is still restrained to mitigate injury risk.

Parsons will continue his program. He is expected to join the team fully next week.

He has not been a stranger. Parsons and Cowboys coaches have kept in contact, as he visited the facility as recently as last week. He has worked with the strength and conditioning staff, including coordinator Harold Nash Jr. His ability to prepare himself physically is not questioned within the team.

Parsons dismisses any public perception to the contrary.

“It doesn’t bother me because I know I’m putting in the work,” he said following Monday’s workout with Mack. “It more bothers me that people would think that I’m not doing everything I imagine possible to be the best player I can be to help win a championship. It’s more of that. … The greatness, the spirit, it’s all in me, and I want it more than anybody.

“The [playoff] loss hurts. I’m not worried about no money, no nothing. That failure sits deep more than anything else.”

Since the award began in 1971, Parsons is the first player to finish top three in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his first three NFL seasons. Entering Year 4, he said he’s focused on being more intentional.

That could result in a better player, person and leader.

Parsons said he is committing to daily activities that help him achieve spiritual, physical and mental growth. Each day, he prays, trains, and reads or listens for the purpose of accruing knowledge. That process lends itself naturally to reflection of how he can elevate both his own performance and that of teammates.

“Mike [McCarthy] and I talked multiple times this offseason about how can we create more self-discipline, how can we eliminate the penalties, how can we create a better environment to be better,” Parsons said. “It starts with me. That’s why I’ve been putting so much into that. You’ve got to learn how to lead. You have to learn almost everything in life. …

“I realized I need to increase my spirit, so when others are down, my spirit rises.”

Training away from teammates may seem contradictory for someone striving to better assert himself as a leader.

Parsons acknowledged that challenge. Ultimately, he is following through on his conviction about the training he needs in order to ascend his game. Leadership starts on the field. And so, it often starts in the boxing ring with Mack, the former Texas Super Middleweight champion and now owner of TMack Elite Training.

Their drills are multifaceted.

At one point Monday, Mack set a five-minute timer that chimed in 30-second increments. During the first 30 seconds, Mack threw punches at different angles and levels at Parsons, who used his gloves to swipe and catch Mack’s throws. When the timer chimed, it was Parsons’ turn to punch. They alternated each chime until time expired.

That was a catch-and-counter drill.

Later, in a defense reaction period, Mack held a large blue swimming noodle in his left hand and teal swimming noodle in his right. He again punched and hacked at Parsons, who swiped off contact while keeping his hands raised, chin lowered and body balanced.

Those drills imitate hand-fighting in the trenches with offensive linemen.

“Just like in football, in boxing, you get your most power when you’re balanced,” Parsons said. “And it’s great because just like in football, your hands and feet have to be synchronized. So, I’m working so much on just my hands and feet moving together, stepping into my jab, turning into my one-two. Everything turns out better for me.”

There is a difference in their sessions this offseason compared to last year.

Mack now trains Parsons “like a boxer,” he said.

Mack throws punches more aggressively because he knows Parsons can handle the intensity. He has a better understanding for how Parsons prefers to be pushed. Each man described the other as having a no-nonsense demeanor; any joking or laughter between sets Monday was at a minimum.

Progress has come along the way.

“His recovery is amazing,” Mack said of Parsons’ conditioning. “I think his reaction is amazing. I think his hand speed got better. His footwork — everything is translating together. Your hands have got to be just as fast as your feet. Your feet have to be just as fast as your hands. Your conditioning has got to be on point because if you get tired, those arms start feeling like Jell-O, and all you can do is drop your hands, and that’s when you get knocked out. …

“I think his confidence on the football field is even higher. It’s like, ‘I’ve taken punches from grown men. These guys aren’t going to do anything.’ I think he’s ready for war. I think he’s ready to go.”

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