Isaiah Simmons


Isaiah Simmons is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He played college football at Clemson, and was drafted by the Cardinals with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Simmons is noted for his positional versatility, playing at linebacker, defensive end, cornerback, and safety while at Clemson.

Early years

Isaiah Simmons was born in Omaha, Nebraska on July 26, 1998. He later attended Olathe North High School in Olathe, Kansas, playing defensive back and wide receiver. He committed to Clemson University in February 2016.

College career

Simmons redshirted his first year at Clemson in 2016. As a safety in 2017, he played in 14 games, recording 49 tackles and one sack. In 2018, he converted to linebacker. In 15 games, Simmons had 97 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception. He returned to Clemson in 2019 rather than enter the 2019 NFL Draft. Simmons received the Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker for his performance that year. After graduating in December 2019 with a degree in sports communication, Simmons announced that he would forgo his senior year by declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. During his time at Clemson, Simmons was noted for his positional versatility, taking snaps at linebacker, defensive end, cornerback, and safety.

Statistics

Professional career

Simmons participated in the 2020 NFL Combine, leading all linebackers with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. He was one of 58 players invited to the 2020 NFL Draft, which was held virtually due to social distancing regulations arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, where he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the eighth overall pick.