UA: Simmons keeps soaring
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What a ride that high school has been for Virginia Beach (Va.) Ocean Lakes linebacker Jahvoni Simmons.
The Rivals four-star Class of 2015 prospect played as a freshman on a Dolphins team that finished the season 8-3, losing in the first round of the playoffs, but the then-freshman put his name on the map as a linebacker capable of running around willing to lay a lick on ball carriers.
Big things were predicted quickly for the Virginia Beach product and he's more than lived up to the hype.
"I never thought that it would be like this," he said. "Being the little kid on the block was tough. Guys like [former Ocean Lakes players] Eli Harold, Corwin Cutler, Andre Dessenberg, Dimitri McGill and Derrick Nnadi, those guys definitely try to bring you up to their level of play."
"At first, he was just a young guy getting in," says Ocean Lakes head coach Chris Scott. "By the fourth game, he was starting because he was that good."
On Tuesday afternoon, in a ceremony held at Ocean Lakes, the Virginia commit received his Under Armour All-American jersey as he'll be participating in the January 2015 contest in Florida.
A stalwart in the middle for the Dolphins' 14-1 state championship runners-up team during his sophomore campaign, Simmons got used to the bright lights that come with being a sought-after recruit. Still, being picked as an Under Armour All-American is a new level for him.
"It means a lot. I just have to thank God for everything that he's blessed me with and I need to thank my coaches for pushing me the way that they did. It means a lot. The last person that stepped into Ocean Lakes High School who played in the Under Armour game is now the NFL [Tennessee Titans WR Justin Hunter]," Simmons said.
Scott saw him as an impact player on a national level pretty early on. "Right in the middle of his sophomore year, I thought that he had a chance to be special because he's the total package."
The Dolphins have continued their winning ways, finishing 12-1 last season advancing to the state quarterfinals and they've opened Simmons' senior campaign with seven straight wins, all by at least 34 points. They seem well on their way towards competing for another state title game appearance, a drive that Simmons is leading.
"It's definitely at an all-time high right now. I came out of last game because I got a little bit dinged, up but once I come back it's going to be back up to full force. We are getting ready for the postseason so when playoff time comes we can be rolling."
Through the first seven games of his senior season, Simmons has totaled 51 tackles, giving him 366 for his high school career, which makes him the Dolphins all-time leading tackler ahead of Class of 2014 four-star Derrick Nnadi who signed with Florida State last year.
Simmons has also notched nine career interception and six blocked kicks, including three this season.
The senior currently holds a 3.3 grade point average.
"Definitely school comes before anything," Simmons said. "My mom always instilled in me that anything below a B- and I can't participate in anything. School always came first because football isn't always going to be there. I always wanted to make sure that I was getting a great education and that's why I chose the University of Virginia. It's a great education there."
Naturally, his head coach is ecstatic about the development Simmons has undergone through the years.
"He is a guy who is going to get a lot of attention because our football team but he understands that he is a representative of our school and his family. When you are one of those guys, you have to make sure that you are leading the right way and leading by example, he's always done that for us."
Football Editor Rod Johnson is entering his second decade with www.VirginiaPreps.com having started with the site in 2003. To keep up with all the high school football news in Virginia, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook. He can also be contacted via e-mail at vaprepsrod@cox.net.
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