Wayne Simmons (American football)
Encyclopedia
Wayne General Simmons was an American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
.
Simmons, an integral part of Clemson'
s #1 ranked defense in 1990, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
with the 15th pick of the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft
. Simmons played for Green Bay for four and a half years, earning a Super Bowl ring
in 1996
. Simmons was well known for shutting down opposing tight end
s, but in doing this task extremely well he was not able to obtain the attention drawing statistics such as quarterback sack
s. Simmons was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs
during the 1997 season
when Seth Joyner
returned from knee surgery. The Chiefs waived Simmons in 1998
after a 30-7 Monday Night
loss to arch-rival Denver Broncos
, in which Simmons and fellow linebacker Derrick Thomas
were called for a total of five personal fouls on the Broncos' final touchdown
drive. The Buffalo Bills
claimed Simmons off waivers on November 19, 1998 and played five games. He was released by the team in February 1999.
in Independence, Missouri
. Witnesses report he was driving his Mercedes
at high speed and weaving through traffic before losing control of the vehicle. The car rolled several times before landing in a ditch and catching fire. He was 32.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Simmons, an integral part of Clemson'
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
s #1 ranked defense in 1990, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
with the 15th pick of the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft
1993 NFL Draft
The 1993 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25-26, 1993...
. Simmons played for Green Bay for four and a half years, earning a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
in 1996
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game played on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1996 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American...
. Simmons was well known for shutting down opposing tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s, but in doing this task extremely well he was not able to obtain the attention drawing statistics such as quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s. Simmons was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
during the 1997 season
1997 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1997 Kansas City Chiefs were an above-average football team without any major flaws. The 1997 Chiefs are widely considered a major disappointment. The Chiefs finished with a 13–3 record and AFC West division champions...
when Seth Joyner
Seth Joyner
Seth Joyner is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. Joyner graduated from Spring Valley High School.-Professional career:Joyner was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the...
returned from knee surgery. The Chiefs waived Simmons in 1998
1998 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1998 Kansas City Chiefs season began with high hopes of the team avenging its loss in the 1998 playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, but instead the Chiefs failed to succeed in the highly competitive AFC West. The team finished with a 7–9 record and 4th place in the AFC...
after a 30-7 Monday Night
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
loss to arch-rival Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, in which Simmons and fellow linebacker Derrick Thomas
Derrick Thomas
Derrick Vincent Thomas , nicknamed D.T., was an American football linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . He played his entire 11-year career for the Chiefs after being drafted fourth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft...
were called for a total of five personal fouls on the Broncos' final touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
drive. The Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
claimed Simmons off waivers on November 19, 1998 and played five games. He was released by the team in February 1999.
Death
In the early hours of August 23, 2002, Simmons was killed in a single-car crash on Interstate 70Interstate 70 in Missouri
In the U.S. state of Missouri, Interstate 70 is generally parallel to the Missouri River. This section of the transcontinental Interstate has its western terminus at the Kansas state line on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct, concurrent with U.S...
in Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
. Witnesses report he was driving his Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
at high speed and weaving through traffic before losing control of the vehicle. The car rolled several times before landing in a ditch and catching fire. He was 32.