The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Dallas Cowboys in a highly-anticipated Week 9 contest, and it will pit two close friends in linebackers Nolan Smith and Micah Parsons against each other. Smith and Parsons met each other back during their college days, and it turns out Parsons very nearly helped convince Smith to play his college football for the Nittany Lions.

Immediately after getting drafted by the Cowboys, Parsons turned himself into one of the best defensive players in the entire league. Smith hasn't managed to have the same impact in his rookie campaign as Parsons did during his first year with Dallas, but it's clear expectations are high for the young linebacker, especially with Parsons being in his corner. As it turns out, Parsons was Smith's host during his visit to Penn State, and he nearly helped convince Smith to leave the comforts of his home state of Georgia.

Via Zach Berman:

“Nolan Smith has been hearing Micah Parsons comparisons since high school. In fact, Parsons was Smith's host on an official visit to Penn State and the two built a solid relationship. ‘I was real close (to going to Penn State),' Smith said. ‘He was the only reason I was close, because they were going to use me kind of like him. …They wanted (me to be the next No. 11). It sounded good in recruitment.'”

Eagles will be hoping Nolan Smith can deliver for them against the Cowboys

Nolan Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

Smith ended up sticking in Georgia, where he was born and raised, and playing his college football for the Bulldogs instead, but his relationship with Parsons remained strong. Now the pair of talented young linebackers will square off for the first time when the Eagles and Cowboys meet in Week 9.

Smith has had a bit of a slow start to the season, but he has seen the field more over the past two weeks, and even racked up the first sack of his career in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins. The Eagles already have a ton of talent on their defense, but if Smith can develop as expected, he could make one of the scariest defenses in the NFL even more deadly as the 2023 season progresses.