Justin Simmons (American football) facts for kids
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Simmons with the Denver Broncos in 2019
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | November 19, 1993 Manassas, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Martin County (Stuart, Florida) |
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| College: | Boston College (2012–2015) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2016 / Round: 3 / Pick: 98 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
Justin Simmons (born November 19, 1993) is an American professional football player. He plays as a safety, a defensive position, for the Atlanta Falcons. Before joining the Falcons, he played for the Denver Broncos for eight seasons. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles and was chosen by the Broncos in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.
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College Football Journey
Justin Simmons went to Boston College, where he studied communication. During his time there, he played both safety and cornerback for the Boston College Eagles football team.
Early College Years
In 2012, as a freshman, Justin played in all 12 games. He started seven games, showing his versatility by playing both free safety and cornerback. He made 52 tackles and forced two fumbles. The next year, as a sophomore, he played in all 13 games, recording 34 tackles and breaking up three passes.
Becoming a Key Player
By 2014, his junior year, Justin started all 13 games. He began as a free safety and then moved to right cornerback due to team injuries. He led the team with 76 tackles and had two interceptions. In his senior year (2015), he started all 12 games at free safety. He was a top player, tying for second in his conference with five interceptions and leading the conference with three fumble recoveries. His excellent performance earned him a spot on the Second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team.
Professional Football Career
Before joining the NFL, Justin Simmons showed off his athletic skills at the NFL Scouting Combine. He had some of the fastest times in shuttle drills, which helped scouts see his potential. Experts believed he would be picked in the third round of the draft.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+3⁄8 in (1.89 m) |
202 lb (92 kg) |
32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m) |
9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.61 s | 1.60 s | 2.67 s | 3.85 s | 6.58 s | 40 in (1.02 m) |
10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
16 reps | |
| All values are from NFL Combine. | ||||||||||||
Time with the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos chose Justin Simmons in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. He was the seventh safety picked that year and the first player from Boston College to be drafted.
Starting His NFL Journey (2016)
On May 13, 2016, Justin signed a four-year contract with the Broncos. He started his first NFL season as a backup safety. He made his NFL debut against the Carolina Panthers. In Week 8, he got his first career sack. A memorable moment happened in November 2016 when he blocked an extra point attempt against the New Orleans Saints. His teammate, Will Parks, recovered the ball and returned it for a game-winning safety! Justin also got his first career interception in Week 16. He finished his rookie year with 30 tackles and two interceptions.
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Becoming a Starter (2017)
In 2017, Justin became the starting strong safety for the Broncos. In Week 13, he made his first career touchdown by intercepting a pass and returning it 65 yards. Unfortunately, he injured his ankle later that season and was placed on injured reserve. He ended the season with 68 tackles, two interceptions, and one touchdown.
Consistent Performance (2018-2019)
Justin continued as a starting free safety in 2018, playing every single defensive snap. He recorded a career-high 97 tackles and three interceptions. In 2019, he remained a key player. He was the highest-rated safety in the NFL by Pro Football Focus and was named a second-team All-Pro. He had 93 tackles, 15 pass deflections, and four interceptions.
Pro Bowl Selections (2020-2023)
In 2020, the Broncos used the "franchise tag" on Justin, which meant they kept him for another year with a high salary. He continued to excel, making his first Pro Bowl selection. He had a career-high five interceptions that season. In 2021, he signed a big four-year contract extension. He continued to be a top player, with five interceptions and 1.5 sacks.
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In 2022, Justin led the NFL in interceptions with six, even though he missed four games due to a quad injury. He was activated from injured reserve in October and quickly made an impact. He was named to the NFL Top 100 Players list. In 2023, he was voted to his second Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro for the third year in a row. He also helped the Broncos break a long losing streak against the Kansas City Chiefs, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Moving On (2024)
After eight seasons with the Broncos, Justin Simmons was waived by the team on March 7, 2024.
Joining the Atlanta Falcons (2024)
On August 15, 2024, the Atlanta Falcons signed Justin Simmons to a one-year contract. He quickly earned a starting role as the strong safety. In Week 3, he intercepted a pass from Patrick Mahomes against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished the 2024 NFL season with 62 tackles and two interceptions in 16 games.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2016 | DEN | 13 | 3 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 83 | 41.5 | 45 | 0 | 4 |
| 2017 | DEN | 13 | 13 | 69 | 50 | 19 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 65 | 32.5 | 65T | 1 | 5 |
| 2018 | DEN | 16 | 16 | 97 | 71 | 26 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| 2019 | DEN | 16 | 16 | 93 | 65 | 28 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 7.5 | 17 | 0 | 15 |
| 2020 | DEN | 16 | 16 | 96 | 77 | 19 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 90 | 18.0 | 46 | 0 | 9 |
| 2021 | DEN | 17 | 17 | 80 | 60 | 20 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 35 | 0 | 12 |
| 2022 | DEN | 12 | 12 | 69 | 42 | 27 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 51 | 8.5 | 23 | 0 | 7 |
| 2023 | DEN | 15 | 15 | 70 | 53 | 17 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 33 | 0 | 8 |
| 2024 | ATL | 16 | 16 | 62 | 36 | 26 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Career | 134 | 124 | 666 | 479 | 187 | 4.5 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 32 | 442 | 13.8 | 65T | 1 | 71 | |
About Justin's Life
Justin Simmons was born in 1993 to Victor and Kimberly Simmons. He has two younger brothers, Nate and Tristan.
In 2016, Justin married his high school sweetheart, Taryn Richard. They have two daughters, Laney and Shae, and a son named Kyler. Justin often shares that his Christian faith is very important to him.
When he was younger, in 2009, Justin played in a state basketball championship game in Florida.
