Simmons focused on future at State
Jeffery Simmons was a model student and football player at Noxubee County with a 4.0 grade point average and a five-star rating as one of the most coveted recruits in the country.
Shortly after he signed with Mississippi State following his senior year, that wholesome image suddenly faded away as he made a decision that will forever haunt him. That decision also jeopardized his future that has him all but set for a long NFL career barring injury.
Simmons was caught on camera in a physical altercation with a woman in Macon. When MSU chose to stand by Simmons, the national landscape criticized head coach Dan Mullen and former Athletic Director Scott Stricklin. When he was only given a one-game suspension last year, the criticism was even louder.
Now Simmons is looking to show that the young man in the video wasn't him. He's worked hard at rebuilding his image and answered with Freshman All-American honors on the field and a member of the All-Southeastern Conference Honor Roll in the classroom. He said his biggest goal before he graduates is being an Academic All-American.
“I've just been putting everything behind me and moving forward,” Simmons said. “From doing what I do in the classroom and being a leader on the team, I feel like I've grown a lot. Coach Mullen always says focus on what you have in front of you right now and that's what I've been doing.”
The freakishly talented defensive lineman had a strong freshman year despite learning the nuances of the SEC. Simmons had 40 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss but made an impact by drawing double teams.
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