Antjuan Simmons Interview -Linebacker –Michigan State
Ed Hunt: What is your official height, weight and 40 time?
Antjuan Simmons: They have me at 5’11 3/4, 218 and 4.83 in the 40.
Ed Hunt: What was it like playing Ohio State consistently?
Antjuan Simmons: It was good. It didn’t matter, every year they reload. At Michigan State we had a saying that if you have a good game against Ohio State, then you will get noticed as a player.
Ed Hunt: What do think of QB Justin Fields having played against him?
Antjuan Simmons: Definitely a good ball player. Heck of a football player. He can take off. I knew he was a game changer from the moment I played him my junior year.
Ed Hunt: How different was it being from Ann Arbor, Michigan and playing for the Spartans?
Antjuan Simmons: Not really, I did deal with a little bit of flack. Some people told me I should go to Michigan. It was the first place I took a visit to. I never felt out of place while I was there.
Ed Hunt: What did you take away from your Pro Day?
Antjuan Simmons: To just keep going and not get too down and not get too high. There’s a few things I would like to get better at. I felt that through the whole grand scheme of things, just attack everything whether it was an interview or a drill. You can’t get it back if you can’t get a second chance.
Ed Hunt: Where are you currently training for the draft?
Antjuan Simmons: Impact Sports Performance over by Wald Lake.
Ed Hunt: Besides football, what other sports did you play in high school?
Antjuan Simmons: I dibbled and dabbled in track and wrestling. Those were the only things I messed around with. A normal workout in track was 2200’s and it messed up my hamstring. Probably best to take a step away from track because I was going to play college football.
Ed Hunt: What positions did you play in high school?
Antjuan Simmons: I played anything on offense: RB, WR, slot WR, TE/H-back and wildcat package. I played a little read option just to make them respect me. On defense, I played inside backer, outside linebacker, and defensive end.
Ed Hunt: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?
Antjuan Simmons: Pretty much everybody. I had 40+ offers. I committed to Ohio State for a minute. Georgia and LSU. I just didn’t have Alabama, a few Florida schools, and a few Texas schools. If the Florida Gators offered me, I would have taken an official visit. I didn’t want to make a visit down there and not get an offer.
Ed Hunt: How would you sum up your career at Michigan State?
Antjuan Simmons: Lots of ups and downs for sure, but we came out on top in the end. I achieved everything I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to be a captain and be a starter and be an All-American. I did everything I wanted to even without achieving everything. I was able to get everything out of Michigan State whether it was grades or connections. I wouldn’t change it.
Ed Hunt: What are your strengths?
Antjuan Simmons: Running and hitting people. Put my face and my pads on people and just tackle. My football IQ and instincts. I think I can read and react if a team is showing me something I’ve seen before. My versatility. I was able to cover #2 receivers just living out in space. I was playing inside linebacker some of the time, it really helped me as a player. Getting everybody lined up, it did nothing but help me.
Ed Hunt: What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?
Antjuan Simmons: I feel my zone coverage stuff can be better. Be ready to break. Being worked on more consistently. Imposing my will more on linemen and I have improved some more too. I’ve been working on block shedding. Being balanced at the top of your drop and you are going to be able to put your eyes on the QB and should have an understanding of where the routes are around you.
Ed Hunt: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
Antjuan Simmons: That Michigan game this past year and the Northwestern game. I feel like I had my best games of my career. I think I had 12-13 tackles. I was making tackles and plays around the field. Just being able to have a major role. Before halftime, I was able keep some depth and read and react and still got the job done. That Michigan game was definitely one for the books!
Ed Hunt: Is there an NFL linebacker that you like to watch film on?
Antjuan Simmons: Yeah, I love to watch Tampa Bay’s linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White. Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright, I like to watch the Seahawks linebackers. They make plays on special teams and they are always celebrating and making plays. Fred Warner and Zach Cunningham on the Texans and he signed a nice contract.
Ed Hunt: What underclassmen on your team should we keep an eye out for next season?
Antjuan Simmons: My boy, Spencer Brown, Noah Harvey, Jordon Simmons (going into his true sophomore year), and Jayden Reed. There’s quite a few guys who are due for a big year.
Ed Hunt: Which tight end was your toughest matchup throughout your career?
Antjuan Simmons: I’d say the tight end from Wisconsin, I don’t know his name. I had a pass breakup against him. Ohio State had a really good tight end Hausmann and Penn State’s tight end (Pat Freiermuth) he had his best game against us. He did a number on us.
Ed Hunt: What is the most important trait for a linebacker?
Antjuan Simmons: Leadership and physicality. Got to be commander out there. Being physical and you have to be one of the guys being able to run with anyone at whoever is running across from you.
Ed Hunt: What do you enjoy most about football?
Antjuan Simmons: The contact. The physicality of it. I didn’t like the physicality part until my freshman year of high school. I always trained to be a running back and I learned that I could hit guys at a consistent level and that’s when I started to train and decided to take defense more seriously.
Ed Hunt: How has this journey of perseverance made you stronger?
Antjuan Simmons: Really just staying in the fight. I had a T-5 fracture my freshman year and I had a concussion before my junior season. I had to miss spring ball and the last five practices and that was when I was asserting myself as a dude on the defense. I just learned to control what I can control and what I have power over.
Ed Hunt: What are your hobbies?
Antjuan Simmons: I like to cook. I like spending time with my dog, just reading, eating and relaxing. I just try to keep it really simple. Nothing that could hurt me. Cooking is definitely something that brings me some joy.
Ed Hunt: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
Antjuan Simmons: I would love to either be a coach. I would love to coach linebackers or running backs. I wanted to work with special needs students. I went to school for human development and family studies. People who need the help and the guidance is something I always enjoy doing.
Ed Hunt: What makes you unique?
Antjuan Simmons: Everything I can bring to the table as a leader. There is really nobody out there like myself. You will get a stand-up guy and a heck of a football player. A guy who wants to do everything to help the team win.
Ed Hunt: What five words best describe you?
Antjuan Simmons: Tough, hard worker, leader, physical and instinctive.
