Micah Parsons' hobby? Beating Packers teammates at HORSE, pingpong and bowling

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- When Micah Parsons archetypal toured the Green Bay Packers' office wrong Lambeau Field, his eyes lit up erstwhile helium noticed thing hanging from the walls adjacent the value room, indoor signifier tract and adjacent successful the squad gathering room: hoops hoops.

While the Pro Bowl antiaircraft extremity was a standout shot subordinate backmost successful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, helium besides was an undersized station subordinate who scrapped for rebounds and garbage baskets. And helium loved it. But heavy down, helium ever wanted to beryllium a shooter.

If lone rookie antiaircraft extremity Collin Oliver knew what helium was getting into.

"He's a shooter man," Oliver said. "Just a consecutive shooter."

Oliver besides learned thing else: Parsons takes his games of HORSE seriously. Same with pingpong (ask Tucker Kraft), bowling (ask Josh Jacobs) and everything other Parsons does connected and disconnected the field.

"If you don't emotion to triumph and you're here," Oliver said. "You're [in the] incorrect [place]."

The HORSE games instrumentality spot successful what the Packers telephone the CRIC, which is abbreviated for "Conditioning, Rehab and Instruction Center." It's adjacent to the locker country astatine Lambeau Field and serves arsenic a mini indoor signifier tract for walk-throughs oregon shorter practices erstwhile the squad doesn't spell crossed Oneida Street to its afloat signifier installation astatine the Don Hutson Center.

Parsons has different acronym for it: ATM.

"I got a mates per diems successful my pouch from that," Parsons said.

That includes Oliver's money.

"I support telling him, I was similar C.O., don't play nary 1 else," Parsons said. "You conscionable travel to maine each time."

Oliver, who said helium discontinue playing hoops successful mediate schoolhouse but loves to shoot, said helium hasn't beaten Parsons yet.

"I've got to get him back," Oliver said. "I haven't yet, but it's connected the way. He's taken excessively overmuch of my money, truthful I've got to cod my funds a small bit."

Before Parsons arrived via commercialized with the Dallas Cowboys connected Aug. 28, conscionable astir everyone astir present knew astir his talents connected the shot field. How could they not? For 4 years successful Dallas, Parsons was a quality item reel, posting double-digit sacks successful each of his 4 seasons, earning Pro Bowl designation each time.

They've seen overmuch of the aforesaid truthful far. Heading into Sunday's crippled against his aged squad successful Dallas (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Parsons has 1.5 sacks, ranks archetypal successful the NFL successful walk unreserved wins (17) and is tied for archetypal successful backmost pressures (14), according to ESPN Research.

Few, however, knew astir Parsons' competitory spirit.

Packers manager Matt LaFleur astatine slightest had an inkling.

On the time Parsons arrived successful Green Bay pursuing the trade, LaFleur recalled his lone erstwhile enactment with him. It was astatine the Pro Bowl pursuing the 2021 season. LaFleur and his unit coached successful the game, and Parsons was a rookie making his archetypal of 4 consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.

That was the last twelvemonth that they played a crippled astatine the Pro Bowl, though it had ceased to go competitory respective years earlier, yet prompting the format to alteration to what is present known arsenic the Pro Bowl Games -- a bid of competitions culminating with a emblem shot game.

"The bulk of guys looked similar they were going done the motions," LaFleur recalled. "Except for 1 guy. And helium was trying to wreck store retired determination and helium was trying to win.

"This guy's the eventual competitor, and immoderate it is you're playing, he's going to privation to win. And I don't deliberation he's precise apologetic astir that, which is truthful breathtaking arsenic a manager to get a feline similar that, and I deliberation that conscionable elevates everybody astir him."

In the locker country aft the Week 2 triumph implicit the Commanders, Parsons was asked ...