Former Bulldog Simmons ready to fully put ACL injury in the past
Former Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons finally has a freed-up knee.
Simmons, who is preparing for his second season with the Tennessee Titans this fall, hasn't known professional football without a knee brace protecting his left ACL, which he tore training for the 2019 NFL Draft. The injury didn't keep the Titans from making Simmons a first-round draft choice last year – they took him with the 19th overall selection last April – but it did require the big, bulky piece of protection on Simmons' knee once he was able to finally start playing in mid-October.
It seems there's little threat of Simmons returning to the brace in 2020 once the season kicks off. After all, he can't even find it.
"Honestly, I don't even know where it's at," Simmons told reporters in a media availability on Wednesday according to a transcript provided by Titans media relations.
Out of sight and out of mind seems to be the approach Simmons is taking with his brace. He's pushing ahead towards, what he hopes, will be his first fully-healthy season.
The process has started with simply getting used to life without anything wrapped around his knee so he'll be good to go come September.
"I’m just continuing to work hard to get my knee in the best possible shape I can for the upcoming season," Simmons said. "I’ve been feeling pretty good, my knee has been feeling good. I’m working out, still on the plan to get my knee better for this upcoming season. I’m feeling great right now, so I pray that everything stays smooth."
Simmons said he had a stated goal at the end of last year that he wanted to play brace-free in 2020. Who knows how much doing that might help Simmons on the field, but he was already having a huge impact on games even while wearing his now-lost brace.
Last year, in only nine regular season games, Simmons had 32 tackles and a pair of sacks. He then helped the Titans score playoff upsets over the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game. Simmons had three tackles in Tennessee's playoff run, and also had a big fumble recovery in the victory over the Ravens.
Despite being only months removed from his ACL tear, Simmons was an incredibly valuable piece on the defensive front of the Titans. Now, with more time to heal (and a little less equipment on him), Simmons is eyeing a leap in his production.
"There’s a lot that plays into it, especially coming off of a knee injury," Simmons said. "Just the extension that I was lacking (last year), just little things like that. I’m still working on that, strengthening my quad, stuff like that. All of that plays a part into especially the ACL. I just look at the film – I’m still watching film especially during meetings right now, just stuff I see. Bending my hips, butt back, shooting my hands, being explosive and using my strength to my advantage. Just small things that I could see that can help me be a better player this coming up season for the team."
An improved Simmons would of course be a welcome sight for the Titans. It'd likely be a nightmare for the rest of the NFL. It wasn't all that long ago Simmons was giving headaches to SEC offensive coordinators as Simmons' presence on the Mississippi State line often drew frequent double teams and altered game plans. He might soon be having the same gigantic impact on the professional gridiron. That's where Simmons' focus is.
"I have high expectations for myself and high standards for myself," Simmons said. "I know I could’ve been way better (last year). I’m not even blaming anything on my knee. It’s a lot of things that I could’ve done better. It's not because of my knee, it's small other things. When I was out there playing a game, I wasn’t thinking about, ‘OK, I’ve got a hurt knee,’ or, 'I’ve got an injured knee'. I’m not playing this game timid. I could be a lot better just by (correcting) a lot of technique issues, and I think that’s the main thing that I’m trying to focus on this offseason."
And he's doing it all with that knee brace of his tucked away in an undisclosed location.
"I just put it up somewhere and like I said, I forgot where it's at." Simmons said.
