Who was Micah Parsons' biggest influence last year? Watch him explain

Linebacker Jan Johnson, who went from walk-on to starter, 'approached the game the right way,' Parsons said.

Micah Parsons launched his career into hyperdrive last season, his first as a full-time starter that ended with him earning consensus All-America honors. Now, Parsons is positioning himself to become one of college football's most dominant players.

But behind his rise is an influential voice from which Parsons has taken plenty of cues. That voice belonged to former middle linebacker Jan Johnson.

"The person I looked up to in the linebacker room was Jan," Parsons said. "It wasn't a sense of how he played but how he carried himself every day and how he approached the game the right way."

Parsons and Johnson, who started together in 2019, brought markedly different histories to Penn State. Parsons was among the nation's highest-ranked defensive prospects in 2018, a can't-miss player and generational talent who forced himself onto the field as a freshman. Parsons eventually led the team in tackles that season despite starting just one game.

Johnson, meanwhile, was a former walk-on and one-time wrestler who willed himself into the starting lineup despite sustaining a torn ACL in 2016. He became a two-year starter and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten last season. The Houston Texans signed Johnson as a free agent in April.

As Parsons embarks on a 2020 season in which he'll be among the nation's top defensive players, he reflected on who helped him get there. Johnson played a significant role.

"He might not have been the most athletic guy, but how he approached the game and his study of the game and helping me understand the game was just off the charts," Parsons said. "Jan helped me a lot while I was on the field. He helped me a lot off the field, in the film room, helped me understand systems. So that was always a person I looked up to."

Former Penn State linebacker Jan Johnson makes a tackle at the Cotton Bowl / USA Today Sports

As Penn State's lone returning starter at linebacker, Parsons said he has an obligation to take a more vocal place defensively. To pursue that, he recently spoke with former players Cam Brown, Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley to collect their input on transitioning to a leadership role.

McSorley last year told Parsons that he had to become a bigger personality on the team. Parsons said he's taking that to heart now.

"It's just learning how to be that guy that everyone looks up to and learning what it takes and learning what you have to give up to be that guy," he said.

Get the latest Penn State news by joining the community. Click "Follow" at the top right of our AllPennState page. Mobile users click the notification bell. And please follow AllPennState on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.