After holding a very successful camp in a COVID-stricken 2020, Jeffery Simmons and many other former Bulldogs came together to host Simmons’ second annual football camp at the Starkville Sportsplex.
“I feel like it went really smoothly last year, and it’s going a lot smoother this year because it’s our second year doing this,” Simmons said.
The Tennessee Titans defensive lineman, who is a native of nearby Macon and a Mississippi State football great, was eager to start a football camp. During his first NFL offseason last year, he was able to hold a safe and successful camp, opening the door for him to host the event again in 2021.
This year’s edition saw around 330 first- through eighth-graders Friday and about 280 high school and college athletes on Saturday. Simmons was elated at the turnout and the opportunity to teach, coach and influence the kids who attended.
“It’s great, man. It’s just an honor to be in the position I am, to be able to do it,” Simmons said on being able to give back to the Starkville community. “I always tell people my faith in God is strong, and if it wasn’t for Him, I wouldn’t be in this position today.”
Simmons credited many people for helping him throw the camp, including many of his former Bulldog teammates. Tyre Phillips of the Baltimore Ravens and Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins of the Green Bay Packers were just two of the NFL players in attendance.
“I appreciate those guys to the fullest,” Simmons said. “It goes a long way, and it’s so much bigger than sports.”
Among the Bulldogs who came back was Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. A Starkville native and an instrumental part of Mississippi State’s defense over his three years with the Bulldogs, Gay said it was a great opportunity to help the younger generation of players.
Gay said while he was able to go to football camps when he was younger, none was put on by an NFL star who played in his hometown, so it was special to give the kids the opportunity to learn under Simmons and the other former Bulldogs.
“(Simmons) called us, asked us to help out; there was no hesitation we wanted to come help,” Gay said. “We’ve had a lot of fun. We learn just as much as the kids, you know.”
On Saturday, the high school and college players got to focus on position groups and really refining their skills before the fall, before hopping into seven-on-seven drills in the afternoon.
“We’ve been working on getting in our stance, getting low, and pushing off in certain scenarios,” Louisville left guard Victor Rush said. “I’m a little guard, so they’ve been helping me bunny hop on a bull rush so I can slow it down, where my hands should be, where my head should be and things like that.”
While getting kids instruction from current NFL stars is great, Simmons wanted to stress that this camp was about more than just football, emphasizing the importance of academics, God, and staying in school.
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