Simmons gave two of the top cornerbacks in the AFC all they could handle each time they faced off a year ago. Simmons, a speedy wide receiver, who has timed out at 4.4 in the forty-yard dash this off-season, held his own against veteran Pro-Bowlers Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain every time they faced each other.
Sounds great. But there was one small problem: nobody outside of the Miami Dolphins' training facility was able to see Simmons, a 2002 fifth-round draft choice out of Northwestern, perform.
A former Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year after his senior season at F.L. Schlagle, Simmons spent the entire season on the Dolphins' practice squad.
"Spending last season on the practice squad made me a better football player, and I became a better all-around athlete," said Simmons, married to his high school sweetheart Trina, and the proud father of two beautiful daughters, Talia, 4, and Jada, 2. "Going against guys like Sam (Madison) and Patrick (Surtain) everyday in practice only made me a better (wide) receiver. If you asked those guys, they would say, 'Sam always ran his butt off, and worked hard to make plays.'
"I just wanted to work hard to get better, and I feel that I'm 10 times better now than I was last year. I was blessed to be on the practice squad."
Fresh off a solid performance at the Dolphins’ first official on-field mini-camp this offseason, Simmons is confident that he'll spend this season on Miami's 53-man roster.
"In my eyes, which to be brutally honest doesn't mean much, I had a very successful mini-camp," said Simmons. "I caught 90 percent of the balls thrown my way. I ran good routes. I made plays on the outside, and in the slot.
"I trimmed my body weight down to 197 pounds, and increased my strength. I bench pressed 225 pounds 15 times, which is improved from last season.
Overall, I feel great about the way things are going, and I'm real confident that my chances are good to make the regular roster."
