MACON — An ankle injury wasn’t going to stop Jeffery Simmons.
After all, this was the season the Noxubee County High School senior was supposed to help his team make history and become the school’s first football team to win back-to-back state titles.
But after two players rolled on his ankle in the game against West Point, Simmons was forced to miss games against Kemper County, Kosciusko, Leake Central, and Louisville. As each game passed, Simmons grew more and more anxious to get back on the field and to be his dominant self.
“It was hard,” Simmons said. “Even though we lost only one of the games I missed, just watching the games hurt because football is something I love. I have been playing it since I was 5 years old. Sitting on the sidelines, I thought to myself, ‘I want to be out there.’ ”
Simmons made up for lost time down the stretch, returning for limited duty against Caledonia and Houston to finish the regular season. He then was back to his usual exploits in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A playoffs, terrorizing quarterbacks and flexing for the Noxubee County High fans.
Fittingly, Simmons saved one of his best games for his finale, as he had three-and-a-half sacks and four quarterback hurries in Noxubee County’s 44-23 victory against St. Stanislaus on Dec. 5 in the Class 4A State title game at Ole Miss’ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
For his accomplishments, Simmons is The Dispatch’s Large Schools co-Defensive Player of the Year. Simmons shares the award with West Point High’s Jeffrey Drake. Simmons was The Dispatch’s 2014 Large Schools Defensive Player of the Year.
“Being able to make history with the team is great,” Simmons said. “Like coach (Tyrone) Shorter always tells us, it is about who came before us and what we do paves the way for the people who will come after us. I take pride in the fact that I have helped pave the way for next year’s team, especially in recruiting. Now more college coaches really know there is a lot of talent up here in Noxubee County.”
In 12 games, Simmons finished second on his team in solo tackles (88) and second in overall tackles (105) to senior linebacker Qendarrion Barnett. Simmons led the Tigers (12-4) with 20 1/2 tackles for loss, 18 1/2 sacks, 21 quarterback hurries, three blocked field goals, and two blocked punts. He also caused two fumbles, recovered two fumbles, made one interception, and deflected five passes.
Earlier this month, Simmons represented Mississippi in the 29th annual Senior All-Star game against Alabama, which Mississippi won to snap a seven-game losing streak in the series.
On top of all of his accomplishments on the field, Simmons has had to deal with the off-the-field distractions of his recruiting. After every game, Simmons was one of the most popular players with members of the media. Simmons routinely was asked for updates on his college choices and if Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, or any of the other schools on his list had emerged as the leader. Simmons answered all of the questions every week and tried to keep his college search in the back of his mind until he had finished helping the Tigers realize their title goals.
“It was a little distracting, but I have to give all the glory to God,” Simmons said. “Sometimes being cocky or arrogant about yourself brings a lot of hatred on the team. I knew if I walked around with a big head it probably would tear up a lot of relationships with my teammates. I just tried to keep it to the side. Keeping it to the side helped me a lot to stay focused with my teammates.”
On Jan. 9, 2016, Simmons will get an opportunity to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. He is bound to attract plenty of attention at that game, too, because he plans to take his time to sort out all of the information from college coaches.
Shorter said Simmons has been a joy to coach and someone who has made his supporting cast better.
“He deserves everything he is getting because of his humbleness,” Shorter said in October when Simmons received his jersey for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. “He is respectful. He has done everything right. He has worked hard on and off the field and worked hard in the classroom. He did everything right, and he deserves this. I am so proud of him for getting all of this.
“To have a person like that get this honor, who put everybody else first and who talked about his team, his community, and his family and has yet to talk about himself, that is the guy I have known for the past seven or right years. It is an honor to coach him. It is an honor to be part of his life.”
Simmons’ play has made it tough on Shorter to find new ways to talk about his ability to impact a game. After Simmons had 13 solo tackles (17 total), five sacks, five hurries, three pass deflections (with at least one going for an interception), a fumble recovery, and a blocked extra point, Shorter said Simmons “played like Superman.”
Simmons nearly duplicated that effort against St. Stanislaus in the state championship game. Efforts like that weren’t surprising to Shorter, who knew Simmons, the younger brother of former Noxubee County High standout and current Southern Mississippi defensive lineman Dylan Bradley, was going to be special. Simmons served as the Tigers’ water boy for a long time. As he grew, Shorter’s anticipation grew as he waited to give Simmons a chance to dress out with the varsity team./ That time came in Simmons’ freshman year. He has spent the past three seasons developing into a defensive lineman many believed could have played in college this season.
“The kid is just a natural leader,” Shorter said. “I saw it early on, and I really see it now. He just put it on his shoulders that he is going to lead.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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