Isaiah Simmons: From Sixteen Offers To First Round Draft Pick
To say that do-it-all linebacker Isaiah Simmons had to jump over some hurdles on his way to becoming the eighth overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL Draft on Thursday night would be quite the understatement.
Coming out of high school, the former Clemson linebacker was a low three-star recruit, and wasn't getting a lot of attention from the bigger, "powerhouse" football schools.
Even after he won three long jump state titles, and dominated on both sides of the ball during his time at Olathe North High (Olathe, Kansas) earning first-team all-state honors as a senior, Simmons confidence never wavered.
A month before National Signing Day in 2016, he finally received an offer from one of those big football schools, and nothing has been the same since.
"I had sixteen offers, but I felt like I was good enough to play at the powerhouses," Simmons said. "Clemson ended up offering me a month before signing day, and I went there, visited, and fell in love."
During his time at Clemson, Simmons developed into one of the most versatile football players that college football has seen in recent years. Now, he can't wait to showcase those skills at the next level.
"I bring a lot of versatility," Simmons said. "A guy that's not narrowed down to one position. I can be used in many ways to help the defense in any possible way. If I need to play safety one week, or I need to play linebacker one week, or you need me to get after the passer. I can get all that done."
The Cardinals are hoping the dynamic Simmons can make an instant impact on a defense that finished dead last in the league in total defense a year ago. While some may view his having played multiple positions as weakness, Simmons doesn't see it that way.
"I don't really see it as a weakness, it worked pretty well at Clemson," Simmons said. "People have their own perspectives on it though, but I honestly feel like it's a strength because it creates so much deception on the defense."
Going into the draft Simmons knew there were no guarantees, although he thought the Cardinals were a very realistic possibility. Now that it's over, he is just ready to get to work.
"I knew it was possible, coming to Arizona," Simmons said. "But coming into the draft, I really had no idea where I was going to end up going. Now that I know, I'm beyond excited and can't wait."
