The Titans selected DT Jeffery Simmons with the No. 19 pick in the first round of Thursday's NFL Draft, and while Simmons was "off many boards" due to an altercation in high school where he punched a female, multiple teams had "checked into his background and felt comfortable with what they learned about his character since that incident," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported teams around the league "pretty much felt all the information they gathered from that assault and the information they got from the coaching staff and other people at Mississippi State is that he was somebody who truly had redeemed himself at the highest level under these awful circumstances.” However, at least 11 owners had Simmons "taken off their boards no matter what the glowing reports were in terms of how contrite he was and what he did to correct those matters” (“NFL Draft,” ESPN, 4/25). NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said, "Every team I talked to had moved to a place where they were comfortable where this kid is at as a human being" ("NFL Draft," NFL Network, 4/25). ESPN.com's Turron Davenport reports Titans Controlling Owner Amy Adams Strunk as the "final decision-maker ... had to sign off on the move." Titans GM Jon Robinson said, "Jeffery made a mistake. We talked extensively about that with him. We talked with numerous people that have been a part of his life. I can't tell you how many people spoke glowingly about him and his time at Mississippi State" (ESPN.com, 4/26).
WHY GO THIS DIRECTION? In Tennessee, Joe Rexrode notes Simmons during a conference call after being drafted added some context to the incident by saying that the woman he punched "was in a fight with his sister and he intervened." Robinson said, "Since Amy (Adams Strunk) has been controlling owner here and since I’ve been general manager here, we haven’t brought in bad people to this organization." But Rexrode wonders why a team that "makes a big deal out of character" decided to select Simmons. Rexrode: "To boil it down simply ... talent is the answer" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/26).
