State's Simmons has impressive showing
RUSTON, La. – He's more powerful than a locomotive! He's able to leap tall linemen in a single bound!
No, this wasn't the Man of Steel. This was Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons on Saturday night in Ruston, Louisiana.
As MSU fought back from an early 9-0 hole on the way to dismantling Louisiana Tech 57-21, it was Simmons leading the charge. The sophomore put together an unforgettable evening that featured a blocked kick, a blocked punt, a 90-yard scamper to the end zone and two total touchdowns. Not bad for a nose guard.
“He was outstanding,” Mississippi State linebacker Gerri Green said of Simmons. “Two touchdowns by a guy his size? That's crazy. We're proud of him. He even showed a little speed (on the 90-yard fumble return). It was an incredible night for him.”
Despite his massive 6-foot-4, 301-pound frame, Simmons showed off the athleticism that made him such a coveted five-star recruit out of Noxubee County High School back in 2016.
It all started with 6:46 left in the first quarter when Simmons blocked a Louisiana Tech extra point attempt. That was just the beginning.
Later in the period, Simmons leaped high into the air and got a hand on Brady Farlow's punt. The football bounced into the end zone, and after a brief scrum, it was Simmons who came up with it. “My mindset the whole time was go block the punt,” Simmons said. The best was yet to come for Simmons. With Mississippi State in complete control up 43-14 in the third quarter, Simmons hauled in a fumble at the 10-yard line and rumbled the 90 yards to the opposite end zone. Simmons said when he picked up the ball, he looked up and knew he had a shot to take it to the house.
“I looked up and all I saw was gold,” Simmons said. “I was just thinking about getting to the end zone.”
It was quite the exclamation point to Simmons' big night. Even State head coach Dan Mullen was impressed with it all.
“It was crazy wasn't it?” Mullen said of Simmons' performance. “He was going crazy. He's a guy that works his tail off. I know he's very talented, but don't mistake that for how hard he works every single day at practice to put himself in positions to make those plays.”
It's just the latest happenings in a year that's shaping up to be special for Simmons. Last week, he notched his first career sack. He now has 10 total tackles for the year.
Perhaps the best is yet still to come. Simmons is counting on it.
“I'm way more confident,” Simmons said. “I feel like I work way harder now than I did coming in as a freshman. I was banged up coming in as a freshman and couldn't do every team activity. This past summer and winter, I worked my tail off every day. Coming into this season, I felt like this was my season.”
Through two games, Simmons appears to be right on.