Justin Simmons: Star safety, NFL hopeful and husband-to-be
He’s led the Eagles with 76 tackles
You may have seen him around campus wearing an infamous white backpack or sitting next to you in a Communication class.
Or more likely you’ve seen him on the field at Alumni Stadium.
Justin Simmons, 21, is the Eagles’ champion safety. He made the Wuerffel Trophy Watch list and won the 2015 Jay McGillis Scholarship, which recognizes a defensive back best showing “dedication, leadership and competitive spirit.”
The Tab sat down with the 6 ft 3, 201 pound star footballer to discuss his last year with the Eagles, his focus on the NFL draft, and his upcoming wedding.
Justin Simmons
What are your thoughts on how you think the season is going so far?
There is obviously a lot of room for improvement but other than that I think the season is going pretty well.
What has been your favorite moment in your college career?
My favorite moment is probably beating USC at home last year.
What is your biggest goal for the rest of the season?
My biggest goal is to win out an ACC play.
Justin giving the opening prayer at the Athletes’ Banquet last year
What kind of adjustments have you guys made to help prepare you for the next game?
Just making sure that we come out and start fast. Against Florida State we kind of started off slow and from there we started looking to see what adjustments we need to make and why we were starting so slow and how to get faster.
What game are you the most excited for?
I am probably the most excited for Notre Dame at Fenway. It’s a rival school and playing in Fenway would be awesome. [Laughs] At least I hope.
How does it feel to be a starter?
It feels great after consistently putting in the hard work and getting rewarded on the field.
What does it mean to you to walk out on the field as a captain this year?
It feels great. It’s definitely a great feeling having a leadership role on the team.
Justin with his fiancé, Taryn, who he proposed to in June
What are your plans once the season is over?
Well, I’m getting married in April and also just preparing for the NFL draft and just seeing where that goes.
Describe Coach Addazio in one word.
Intense.
White backpack or black backpack?
White.