Antuan Simmons
Encyclopedia
Professional career
UndraftedUndrafted
An undrafted sportsperson or undrafted free agent is specific type of sportsperson who plays, or attempts to play, in a professional sports league without first being selected in a draft....
in 2002
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
, Simmons signed with the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but did not survive the final cuts. In 2003, he played for the Barcelona Dragons
Barcelona Dragons
The Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
and signed with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
but again did not make the roster. He played in the Arena Football League for the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
(2004–2005).
After Football
After his playing career ended, he began coaching. Presently, he is the head defensive coordinator and Quarterbacks coach at Laguna Creek High School, in Elk Grove, CA.He helped lead there starting running back, Don Jackson to lead the section and division in rushing yards in the 2010 season. Before the end of the season, He was leading the state in yards, and was number 4 in the nation, before Laguna failed to make the playoffs.
College career
Simmons played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He is famous at USC for intercepting a pass by catching the ball with his legs during a game against UCLA in 2001, returning the interception 34 yards for a touchdown.
Near the end of the 1999 college football season
1999 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State named national champions, defeating Virginia Tech in the BCS Sugar Bowl.Florida State became the first team in history to start out preseason #1 and remain there through the entire season. Their 12-0 season gave them 109 victories in the...
, Simmons suffered a back
Back
- People :* Adam Back, British cryptographer* Charles Back, South African winemaker* Chris Back , Australian politician* Ernst Emil Alexander Back , German physicist* Frédéric Back , Canadian animator...
injury which required him to sit out at the end of the season. While undergoing an MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
on his back in the summer of 2000, a series of tests determined that there were tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
s in his chest
Chest
The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax or the bosom.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...
and near his kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
s. As a result, Simmons spent six weeks in the hospital and underwent three surgeries. Simmons survived a near ordeal with death and lost forty pounds. Yet, through determination, Simmons returned to USC in January 2001 and fully prepared for the 2001 football season. Prior to the 2001 season, Simmons was USC's spokesman at Pac 10 Media Day, and Simmons ended up starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
all twelve games at free safety. His interception and touchdown against UCLA are considered a gratifying highlight for Simmons and the 2001 season.