Where does Simmons rank on all time list?

[BB30]

Where does Simmons rank for y’ll on the all time bulldog greats list? IMO he’s top 3 and might be sitting at the top. He forced teams to account for him on every single play often being doubled and still affected the game directly.

Man I miss watching him play for the maroon and white. Guy played intelligent and angry.

[dawgday166]

He's good ... outstandingly good. On D ... I don't know with different eras and all but in last 30 years it's him and Fletcher IMO.

[Pollodawg]

Easily top 3.

Dak is number one.
Maybe Nicko Whitley
Then Simmons no lower than 3.

[Scared_Hitless]

Talent wise he is probably the best player to ever attend here. Dak will always be #1 player though but he is top 3 or 5

[Lord McBuckethead]

Not really a fan off all the pregame scraps he tried to get going, but the dude set a tone. The players I tend to remember the most are the guys that just seemed to be involved with everything. Dak, Abram, AD, Cox, Slay, Broomfield, Simmons, Chris Jones, White, BBrown, KJ, Moulds, Banks, Bond, Norwood, Sweat... Man there are a bunch others too.

I think as far as Dlinemen, I would go Cox, CJones, Sweat, and Simmons. No particular order. May even have to put McPhee and Preston Smith in that mix.

[Dental Dawg33]

He’s easily top 3 for me

[Lord McBuckethead]

Nickoe, dude just wrecked folks. He had knee issues, but when he was on the field, the middle of the field....hurt.

[WSOPdawg]

Not really a fan off all the pregame scraps he tried to get going, but the dude set a tone. The players I tend to remember the most are the guys that just seemed to be involved with everything. Dak, Abram, AD, Cox, Slay, Broomfield, Simmons, Chris Jones, White, BBrown, KJ, Moulds, Banks, Bond, Norwood, Sweat... Man there are a bunch others too.

I think as far as Dlinemen, I would go Cox, CJones, Sweat, and Simmons. No particular order. May even have to put McPhee and Preston Smith in that mix.

"...guys that just seemed to be involved with everything" pretty much defines Fred Smoot... aka Mr. Snot-bubbles!!!

[Lord McBuckethead]

Abram too. He made sure it was going to hurt if you got by the front 7.

[Lord McBuckethead]

"...guys that just seemed to be involved with everything" pretty much defines Fred Smoot... aka Mr. Snot-bubbles!!!

Thats true. I messed up leaving him off the list, but he was before my time.

[parabrave]

What Generation? Anyone remember DD Lewis, Jim Webb and Johnny Cooks?

[redstickdawg]

Y'all are missing guys like Johnie cooks and Tyrone Keyes off those great early 80's teams. Bond has to be up there too as he really was a near perfect wishbone option QB.

Simmons definitely great though, I remember in the TAMU game last year he was double teamed on one play and knocked the C and LG to their knees with ashove to each.

[Coach34]

He's the best defensive player we have ever had- better than Cooks. Keys, Cox, Abram....He is going to be a force for years in the NFL

[Liverpooldawg]

Johnnie Cooks and DD Lewis. DD is probabaly the best ever here, he was just on a terrible team.

[KOdawg1]

Based on talent and pure freakish athleticism, he's probably #1. In the eyes of the fans, he's in the top 10 for sure and is pushing top 5

[Coach34]

Y'all are missing guys like Johnie cooks and Tyrone Keyes off those great early 80's teams. Bond has to be up there too as he really was a near perfect wishbone option QB.

Simmons definitely great though, I remember in the TAMU game last year he was double teamed on one play and knocked the C and LG to their knees with ashove to each.

Alot of these young guys dont realize Cooks was the 2nd overall player drafted back in the early 80's. But I'd have to put Simmons ahead of him.

[DownwardDawg]

Not really a fan off all the pregame scraps he tried to get going, but the dude set a tone. The players I tend to remember the most are the guys that just seemed to be involved with everything. Dak, Abram, AD, Cox, Slay, Broomfield, Simmons, Chris Jones, White, BBrown, KJ, Moulds, Banks, Bond, Norwood, Sweat... Man there are a bunch others too.

I think as far as Dlinemen, I would go Cox, CJones, Sweat, and Simmons. No particular order. May even have to put McPhee and Preston Smith in that mix.

All that pregame stuff was purposeful just to get in their heads. He didn’t mean any of it at all. Dude is as smart as he is talented.

[MoreCowbell]

He’s up there especially the way he handled things after the early video incident. I see him doing really big things in the NFL

[MoreCowbell]

Not really a fan off all the pregame scraps he tried to get going, but the dude set a tone. The players I tend to remember the most are the guys that just seemed to be involved with everything. Dak, Abram, AD, Cox, Slay, Broomfield, Simmons, Chris Jones, White, BBrown, KJ, Moulds, Banks, Bond, Norwood, Sweat... Man there are a bunch others too.

I think as far as Dlinemen, I would go Cox, CJones, Sweat, and Simmons. No particular order. May even have to put McPhee and Preston Smith in that mix.

When he came out against LSU/Bama in 2017 holding that chain like “Thou shalt not pass” was legendary

[Homedawg]

Not really a fan off all the pregame scraps he tried to get going, but the dude set a tone. The players I tend to remember the most are the guys that just seemed to be involved with everything. Dak, Abram, AD, Cox, Slay, Broomfield, Simmons, Chris Jones, White, BBrown, KJ, Moulds, Banks, Bond, Norwood, Sweat... Man there are a bunch others too.

I think as far as Dlinemen, I would go Cox, CJones, Sweat, and Simmons. No particular order. May even have to put McPhee and Preston Smith in that mix.

Simmons was WAY better in college than Jones. Not even close.... and yes I know you said no order, I was just making that point.

[TUSK]

Cooks.

[hp22]

Where does Simmons rank for y?ll on the all time bulldog greats list? IMO he?s top 3 and might be sitting at the top. He forced teams to account for him on every single play often being doubled and still affected the game directly.

Man I miss watching him play for the maroon and white. Guy played intelligent and angry.

In terms of talent, I think he is the top.

The Titans got a steal.

[grinnindawg]

Cooks.
He was so good he changed the predominant offense of the day.
It's impossible to run the triple option when the same guy often tackles the fullback, QB or pitch man.
Against Auburn he was engaged with an OL when one of their future NFL RBs ran buy.
Cooks ran him down from behind, in less than 20 yds. I vividly remember the RB getting up, looking at who ran him down and shaking his head back to the huddle.


Defensive Players I've seen:
Cooks, Simmons
everybody else

Best Offensive players I've seen:
Mcdole, Moulds, Dak, Marler, Don Smith

Looking at the NFL, the best players we've had on offense have been lineman. I don't know enough to judge those.

[tcdog70]

Simmons is the best Defensive player ever---not close. He made Sweat a 1st rounder. He made Errol Thompson a great Lbacker--cause you can see the problems he is having this year without Simmons-blowing up the middle.

[smootness]

Simmons is the most talented player we've ever had at any position. I feel pretty confident in saying that.

[LC Dawg]

Cooks overall lack of success (he had a nice long career it just wasn't outstanding in any way) in the NFL overshadows how dominant he was in college. I agree that Simmons is the best defensive player to play at State but it's a lot closer contest than a lot of you think. Cooks also dominated folks.
Also, since we're mentioning stud defensive players from State don't forget Glen Collins.

[SheltonChoked]

Where does Simmons rank for y?ll on the all time bulldog greats list? IMO he?s top 3 and might be sitting at the top. He forced teams to account for him on every single play often being doubled and still affected the game directly.

Man I miss watching him play for the maroon and white. Guy played intelligent and angry.

He has a chance to be the best ever.

Here is his line from Sunday.

Six Tackles
Two QB Pressures
One Tackle for loss
One Sack

He affected at least 8 plays.

He only played 21 snaps.

After being activated on Wednesday. (that's 3 practices)

[HancockCountyDog]

All I know is that Simmons was drafted 21st overall with a torn ACL. That is simply insane.

There was a lot of hype that he may get drafted top 10 before his injury and I think that is right.

[Lord McBuckethead]

It just goes to show, the combine rules are bullshit.

[smootness]

All I know is that Simmons was drafted 21st overall with a torn ACL. That is simply insane.

There was a lot of hype that he may get drafted top 10 before his injury and I think that is right.

For sure he would have. I think without the pre-college incident and the ACL, he would have gone top 5. He's clearly a better prospect than Clelin Ferrell, who went 4.

[dawgoneyall]

He is the best football player ever at MSU.

[Johnson85]

All that pregame stuff was purposeful just to get in their heads. He didn?t mean any of it at all. Dude is as smart as he is talented.

That's all good and well, but it 17ed us against UK last year. Refs hated us and I don't blame them. Doesn't excuse the bullshit calls that gave them their first two scores, but we were a very unlikeable team that night and it cost us. If Joe doesn't turn it around (which seems unlikely), the biggest thing I will hold against him is him freezing up and letting us get punked that night. Our defense talked shit and acted like asses, but they more or less backed it up despite two BS calls giving UK scores, but then they just ran out of gas in the second half. Just needed the barest of life from our offense and we might could have survived but we just watched Allen wreck us for three quarters before trying to give our OTs help.

Can you imagine what Simmons and Sweat would have done if they had gotten to play against an offensive coach that had been like, "yea, we'll just single team both of them for the next three quarters and see how it works out. I'm not going to devote two blockers to one guy for Pete's sake!111!!1!" They both got their opportunities since they played beside each other, but I'd love to see what it would have looked like if an offense decided they didn't need to gameplan for either of them.

[Tbonewannabe]

That's all good and well, but it 17ed us against UK last year. Refs hated us and I don't blame them. Doesn't excuse the bullshit calls that gave them their first two scores, but we were a very unlikeable team that night and it cost us. If Joe doesn't turn it around (which seems unlikely), the biggest thing I will hold against him is him freezing up and letting us get punked that night. Our defense talked shit and acted like asses, but they more or less backed it up despite two BS calls giving UK scores, but then they just ran out of gas in the second half. Just needed the barest of life from our offense and we might could have survived but we just watched Allen wreck us for three quarters before trying to give our OTs help.

Can you imagine what Simmons and Sweat would have done if they had gotten to play against an offensive coach that had been like, "yea, we'll just single team both of them for the next three quarters and see how it works out. I'm not going to devote two blockers to one guy for Pete's sake!111!!1!" They both got their opportunities since they played beside each other, but I'd love to see what it would have looked like if an offense decided they didn't need to gameplan for either of them.

24 rushing attempts with Fitz and Aeris in the steady rain is just plain dumb. As good as the plan against AU was, UK was the exact opposite. Sitting in the rain watching Fitz throw a wet ball and it not being within 5 yards of guys over and over made me want to kill somebody. Even the called rushing plays were unimaginative and just outright dumb. I gave Joe a pass on this game but watching this year, it should have been the first red flag that Joe doesn't know how to attack a good SEC defense.

[turkish]

I have indirect contact with an opposing SEC starting OLman. He said Simmons was the best he ever played against.

[chef dixon]

He's one of the best i've ever seen play CFB, granted my era doesn't span as far as some on here.

Not sure i've seen a d-lineman so dominant play in/play out except maybe Ndamukong Suh his last year.

[Dallas_Dawg]

I believe Simmons is the best we ever had, and I think he has a real shot at nabbing our first gold jacket. He is a monster and works and plays like he is fighting for a roster spot.
Did y'all see the replay of his sack last week and how he got up and flexed? His upper body looks EVEN bigger than when he was here. Wish he played somewhere where he will get more national exposure, but it will be fun to watch his career develop. Unless he gets hurt, he will be the third $100 million dollar NFL player in a few years when his rookie deal is up.

[Saltydog]

Nicko Whitley isn't even in the top 10, at all.....

[Liverpooldawg]

We have one player in the College Football Hall of Fame. That player is DD Lewis. DD at MSU was a bit before my time, although I do remember him with the Cowboys. The best I have ever seen for us is Johnnie Cooks. His college career made him the second player OVERALL taken in the NFL draft. He was capable of dominating an entire game, and did many times. I'm not sure, good as he was, Simmons ever did that. I'll throw another name out there that has to be in the running, Kent Hull.

[dantheman4248]

Nicko Whitley isn't even in the top 10, at all.....

Dude played on a bum ACL the majority of ‘13. After finding that out, put in perspective how much heart he had and made me appreciate what he actually did a lot more. Made what he was unable to do that season understandable.

[msbulldog]

What Generation? Anyone remember DD Lewis, Jim Webb and Johnny Cooks?

I do.

[AROB44]

What Generation? Anyone remember DD Lewis, Jim Webb and Johnny Cooks?


Yes....DD and Jimmy Webb were 1st team AA on teams that were very very bad,,,, That says a lot about them. So, I know Simmons was a special talent, but before he is anointed the best player in history, some folks need to understand who came before him.