Penn State alumni up for multiple NFL Honors awards Thursday

Penn State football will be well-represented at Thursday evening’s NFL Honors awards ceremony in Los Angeles. 

Set for broadcast on NFL Network at 9 p.m., two former Nittany Lions will take center stage for different reasons.

The most notable of all former Penn State performers this season, Dallas Cowboys rookie defender Micah Parsons produced an elite debut. Already named an NFL All-Pro, on top of twice being named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month in both November and December, Parsons’ impact went well beyond the rookie class. 

That’s why Parsons will vie for two major NFL awards Thursday night.

Parsons up for two big awards

For the first, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Parsons has minimal competition. He’s up for the award with only Denver Broncos’ defender Patrick Surtain Jr. 

For the season, Parsons finished with 84 tackles and 13 sacks in 16 games played with the Cowboys. An elite performance among all rookies, it’s also considered among the best in the entire NFL this season.

As such, Parsons is also up for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. He will be pitted against Pittsburgh Steelers defender T.J. Watt and Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald.

Highlighted by the NFL in a lengthy video previewing Thursday night’s NFL Honors award categories, the praise for Parsons’ was effusive. 

“Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons was an advanced metrics darling,” the video said. “He was PFF’s highest-rated linebacker, and pass rusher, and also collected the highest pressure rate of any defender in the next-gen stats era.”

The nominations build on what has already been a stellar first season for the former Penn State All-American linebacker.

Also named the Butkus Award winner at the professional level last week, Parsons was a rare first-team NFL All-Pro Defense selection as a rookie and participated in his first Pro Bowl last Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas.

Parsons also won a foot race against cornerback Trevon Diggs, running back Nick Chubb, and Chiefs star wideout Tyreek Hill. The achievement crowned Parsons in the NFL’s “Fastest Man Race” as part of its Pro Bowl week festivities.

Penn State other big honoree

In an entirely different spectrum, another former Penn State defender is also up for a major award Thursday.

One of 32 candidates, Jason Cabinda is up for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Actively involved in the Detroit community, the fourth-year player has been recognized for his work off the field.

“Walter Payton’s legacy embodies so many things. He was one of the greatest running backs on the field, and he truly looked out for people that didn’t have a voice and gave them a voice,” Cabinda said via press release. “I think within my character, I hope to embody Walter Payton in the sense of wanting to look out for others and wanting to be somebody who gives back and be somebody who remembers their roots and where they came from. 

“When you’re in this position, you can have such an impact on these communities. You can have an impact knowing that the person that is standing in front of them is a person that has been in their shoes and has been sitting in their seats.”

Cabinda’s contributions to the community were already long-established at Penn State. Now, they have only continued during his NFL stops in Oakland and Detroit. Among them, he counts the “Jason Cabinda Attendance Award” at Davison Elementary School for students with perfect attendance. He also headed up a Back to School Book Drive and virtual literacy program during COVID-19 shutdowns. 

Cabinda has already been granted $40,000 for a donation on his behalf to a charity of his choice. If selected as the Man of the Year Thursday night, a $250,000 donation would be made in his name.