·2009 Hon. Men. All-Big 12 (Coaches)
·2009 Team Safety of the Year Award
2010 SPRING OUTLOOK
An instant-impact junior college safety who didn't take long to crack the starting lineup in 2009, his first year with the Tigers ... Is expected to hold down the lead duties at free safety once again in 2010, and he begins spring drills listed atop the depth chart at that position ... Provides the Tiger secondary with outstanding athleticism and a knack for delivering a crushing blow when the opportunity presents itself.
2009 SEASON
Was a huge contributor to the Tiger defense, despite not joining the team until summer, but ended up starting the final 12 games of the season, and wound up ranking 4th on the team with 73 tackles from his safety position ... Had a hand in 4 turnovers on the season, as he forced a pair of fumbles, recovered another fumble, and intercepted one pass to boot ... Also served double duty as MU's primary kickoff return man, with 36 returns for an average of 22.6 yards per kick ... Closed the year with a flourish as he made 11 tackles in the regular-season finale against Kansas, and then followed with 6 stops and a forced fumble against Navy in the 2009 Texas Bowl ... The fumble was a key play in the first half where he stripped a Navy ball carrier inside the Tiger 5-yardline, with the ball rolling forward into the endzone, where it was recovered by MU to thwart a Midshipmen scoring opportunity ... Made his collegiate debut by recording six tackles in the season opener against Illinois, five of which were solo stops ... Was second on the team with eight tackles (six solos) against Bowling Green on Sept. 12 as he moved into the starting lineup for good ... Made five tackles against Furman, including one TFL ... Recovered a fumble against Furman, returning it eight yards ... Had five tackles against Nevada ... Had four stops against Nebraska on Oct. 8 and recorded one TFL ... Made five tackles (all solos) against Oklahoma State on Oct. 17 ... Averaged 25 yards on five kickoff returns against the Cowboys, and also took a reverse on a punt return in the 4th quarter and scampered 60 yards down the right sideline before being stopped inside the OSU 10-yardline ... Tallied six tackles against Texas, including one TFL ... Made two tackles against Colorado and had three stops against Baylor ... Had two kick returns for 59 yards (29.4 ypr) ... Had seven tackles against Kansas State on Nov. 14 ... Returned six kicks for 163 yards (27.2 ypr) ... Recorded five tackles in the win over Iowa State and intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
JUNIOR COLLEGE
An athletic, physical safety who was a two-year starter at safety for Hutchinson Community College ... Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 51 junior college prospect (any position) in the nation ... ESPN.com said that he has good instincts and a knack for getting himself into the right place at the right time and that he does a good job of keying and diagnosing plays who is very aggressive and is a great hitter who enjoys separating receivers from the ball ... Had 86 tackles and 18 pass break ups as a sophomore at Hutch, and earned 1st-Team All-Conference honors as a result as he helped the Blue Dragons reach the playoffs after winning just 2 games his first year ... Served as a team captain in 2008, and also returned a kick 91 yards for a score, while catching a touchdown pass of over 40 yards, as well ... Averaged over 33 yards per kickoff return ... As a true freshman in 2007, had 62 tackles, 8 pass break ups and 1 interception while he also blocked 2 kicks on special teams units ... Junior college coach - Rion Rhoades.
HIGH SCHOOL
In high school, was a team captain as a senior and earned 3rd-Team All-State and 1st-Team All-Area honors as a safety, as he amassed 123 tackles, 4 interceptions and 2 quarterback sacks in 2006 ... Tallied 81 tackles and had 5 interceptions as a prep junior, while adding 50 tackles and 3 interceptions as a sophomore ... Was a three-sport standout at Booker T. Washington High School, as he lettered in basketball and track in addition to his football days ... High school coach - Chet Bergalowski.
PERSONAL
Parents - Terry & Katrina Simmons ... Interested in studying in the College of Business at Mizzou ... Lists hobbies as basketball and church activities and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes ... Chose Mizzou over Oklahoma State, Arizona, Kansas State, Mississippi and Memphis, among others.
SIMMONS Career Statistics
Tackles
G-GS Solo-Asst. Tot. TFLs FF FR INTs PBU
2009 13-12 52-21 73 3-5 2 1-8 1-0 2
Totals 13-12 52-21 73 3-5 2 1-8 1-0 2
