MACON — When Jeffery Simmons was growing up in Noxubee County, the youth football infrastructure was not exactly robust, despite a strong pipeline of players making it to the top levels of college football and even the NFL.
Now that Simmons has become arguably the most decorated player to ever come out of Noxubee County High, the Tennessee Titans’ star defensive tackle has dedicated much of his time off the field to giving back to his hometown.
He was back home in Macon on Saturday for the second annual Jeffery Simmons Community Fun Day — featuring food, games, live music and fireworks — and he also spent time with the players in the Noxubee Titans youth football program he founded earlier this year. More than 120 boys and girls aged 5-12 are part of the Noxubee Titans, according to Simmons’ business manager, Freddie Poindexter.
“At the end of the day, we have to be there for the kids,” Simmons said. “This is about the kids and whatever we can do for the kids, promoting good behavior and whatever it may be to stay in school. When you’ve been through it, you’ve been there before, you don’t want to go back. I don’t want these kids to experience what I went through as a kid.”
Simmons played for the Macon Broncos youth program before becoming a dominant force on the football field in high school, helping the Tigers win three MHSAA state championships. The top prospect in his class in Mississippi, Simmons had offers from Alabama, Ole Miss and plenty of other top programs, but he chose to remain close to home and play at Mississippi State.
In three years with the Bulldogs, Simmons racked up 32.5 tackles for loss. Even after tearing his ACL while training for the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons was selected 19th overall by Tennessee, returning to the field midway through his rookie season. He became a true star in 2021, finishing with 8.5 sacks and making his first of back-to-back Pro Bowls.
Following his second Pro Bowl in 2022, Simmons signed a four-year contract extension with the Titans worth $94 million, and he has spent a good chunk of that money helping kids back in Macon. The practice facility at Noxubee County High has beared Simmons’ name since 2020 and was officially dedicated as the Jeffery B. Simmons Field House in 2022 after Simmons presented the program with all new equipment.
“I do it because I care about my community,” Simmons said. “I just want to push something positive to our community. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about, just giving back. I enjoy doing this and we want everyone to have a good time. You get on social media, you see things you don’t want to see, but hopefully today, we just bring everybody together for one big fun day for the kids and for the community.”
Tyre Phillips, J.T. Gray and Willie Gay, all former MSU players currently in the NFL, were also in attendance Saturday to support Simmons and the Noxubee Titans. The high school team has remained a powerhouse since Simmons graduated, winning another state title in 2017 and appearing in the championship game each of the last two years.
The Tigers are now led by rising senior quarterback KaMario Taylor, a Mississippi State commit and the No. 6 player in the state for his class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
“(Simmons) definitely inspired me,” Taylor said. “When he signed that big contract, it inspired a whole bunch of kids to keep playing football, keep grinding, because he’s been through the same things we’ve been through. It means a lot because we know he doesn’t have to do this. He takes his time to give back to this small town, and we’re thankful for it.”
Simmons also started the Give Em A Reason Foundation to “inspire youth and youth empowerment through sport, by way of self-esteem building and opportunity creation” in 2023. He was rewarded for his philanthropy as the Titans’ nominee last year for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes an NFL player for excellence on and off the field.
“The award’s cool and all, (but) I don’t do it for the publicity. I don’t do it for the awards,” Simmons said. “Being a nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year, it’s a dream come true, but the real dream come true (would be) winning it. That just shows how much I care about my community. I don’t do it for publicity; I do it because I care.”
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