Jeffery Simmons
Jeffery Bernard Simmons Jr. (born July 28, 1997) is an American football defensive end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State and was drafted by the Titans with the 19th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. College career. After a standout career playing at Noxubee County High School in Mississippi, Simmons was considered a five-star prospect and committed to Mississippi State over Alabama and Ole Miss. Simmons played in 12 games, starting three, as a true freshman in 2016. He had a breakout season in 2017 and  was a consensus selection to the 2017 All-SEC football team. On December 20, 2018, Simmons declared for the 2019 NFL Draft. On February 12, 2019, Simmons tore his ACL while training for the draft. Professional career. Simmons was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the 19th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. 2019 season: Rookie year. On May 22, 2019, Simmons signed a four-year $12.66 million rookie contract with a team option for a fifth year with a $7.23 million signing bonus. He was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list to start the 2019  season while recovering from his torn ACL. On October 19, 2019, the Titans activated Simmons from the non-football injury list. He made his NFL debut the next day against the Los Angeles Chargers. In the game, Simmons recorded 4 tackles and sacked Philip Rivers once in the 23–20 win. The Titans finished with a 9–7 record, qualifying for the playoffs, with Simmons starting all seven games from weeks 8 to 15, recording 32 tackles, two sacks, and one pass deflection. In the playoffs, the Titans won upsets over the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens before losing the  AFC Championship game against eventual Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs, with Simmons playing in all three games. In the Divisional Round against the Ravens, Simmons recovered a fumble forced by teammate Jurrell Casey on Lamar Jackson during the 28–12 road victory. 2020 season. During Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings, Simmons recorded his first sack of the season during the 31–30 road victory. Simmons was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on October 3. He was activated on October 15. In Week 9 against the Chicago Bears, Simmons forced a fumble on running back David Montgomery  that was recovered and returned by teammate Desmond King for a 63 yard touchdown during the 24–17 win. Simmons was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 9. Personal life. In college, Simmons was a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Simmons' brother, Dylan Bradley, played football at Southern Miss and then spent time with the Minnesota Vikings while his uncle, Jason Hatcher, played 10 total seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. Away from football, Simmons enjoys fishing and spending time outdoors. He has a son named Jeffery Jr.  and two sisters, Brooke and Ashley.