Brian Simmons Inspiration: Part II

This is the second in a two-part series about Oklahoma offensive lineman Brian Simmons. The redshirt freshman from Raleigh, NC, has overcome a birth defect and personal difficulties to earn his way to the Sooner football roster. His story of triumph is an inspiration and one that will have OU fans cheering for his first appearance in a college game.

Part II
With things back on track, the recruiting process hit high gear. Simmons was averaging a double-double in basketball and dominating in football.

“Basketball was my first love,” said Simmons, whose cousin Cedric was a recent draft choice of the NBA's Hornets. “I guess that's how it is when you're from North Carolina. But I could see that I could go farther in football.”

So could college recruiters. When they started to visit, it created a combination of euphoria and dread. Simmons was happy for the attention, but nervous about how the scouts might react to his deformity.

Part I | Brian Simmons Bio & Photos

“It came up a lot (in those conversations),” Simmons said. “Sometimes I would wear long pants in the interviews with coaches so they wouldn't see it. I know one school for sure backed off because of my leg.”

Oklahoma obviously was not that school. Defensive line coach Jackie Shipp had received a tape from Simmons' high school and watched it on a whim.

“I had a lot of tape sitting around on my desk and I decided to pop them in to see if we could get lucky,” Shipp said. “I put in his tape and here is this kid running well off the ball and I wonder to myself, Why in the world isn't any one recruiting this kid?'”

In actuality, some were. Several coaches, including Shipp, showed up at the Hargrave combine. It didn't take long for the Sooner coach to notice something that was less apparent on tape Simmons' right leg.

“He saw me look at it and it made him nervous,” Shipp recalled. “He tried to hide it.”

But Simmons didn't hide an impressive 40 time.

Learn More About Club Foot Deformity

“He had no idea how to run the 40,” Shipp said. “He started a half-yard behind the line so he actually ran farther than 40 yards and he popped straight up when he started. He still ran a five-flat.”

When Shipp returned to Norman he sought out OU's team physicians to find out more about Club Foot Deformity. He learned that Simmons had likely adjusted to the condition over the course of his lifetime and that it was entirely possible for him to play college football with little to no difficulty.

“Seeing him on tape, seeing him in person and hearing from our doctors convinced me that we should pursue Brian,” Shipp said.

Kellogg said Shipp's contact was a turning point in Simmons' life.

“I'm not sure where he'd be without Coach Shipp,” she said.

Shipp saw substance to Simmons that few others had recognized.

“He has been told he can't do a lot of stuff during his lifetime,” Shipp said. “He has overcome a whole lot. It's almost like he gets tested all of the time. He just keeps overcoming. That's what is going to make him a special player and a special person. Character is always a factor.”

That character has enabled Simmons to deal with his deformity in an unusually mature way.

“I know a lot more about it than most people,” he said. “I know Troy Aikman and some other famous athletes have had it. I did a project on it in high school to learn as much as I could.”

He also addressed it with OU's strength and conditioning coaches when he arrived on campus.

“I went right to them and told them that I wanted to build up the leg,” Simmons said. “I get in there at 6 a.m., to work on it.”

He squats 550 pounds and has run 4.95 second in the 40 in Oklahoma's testing. His goal in the 40 is 4.8.

His career goal is to become a strength coach himself.

“You can ask our coaches, I bug them all the time,” said Simmons. “I take notes and ask questions about every new lift we do.”

Simmons also wants the opportunity to work with those who share his affliction.

“I know it's a clich', but anything really is possible,” he said. “I went from almost not graduating high school to being able to go almost anywhere (for college). I would tell others to keep the hope and faith.”

Those are inspirational words for a football player who has been out of game action for three years with various injuries. Despite that, things are looking up for Simmons.

“I feel really good about him,” Kellogg said. “He went through years of people treating him badly, but I don't worry about his work ethic and I don't worry about him making it. I know he's going to make it.”

As for having Club Foot Deformity, Simmons says it is almost commonplace for him now.

“I don't really notice it anymore unless I wear shorts or someone else brings it up,” he said.

And others still bring it up. To this day, he is labeled a freak ... in a good way.

“I always try to run in the front or no worse than the middle in our sprints,” Simmons said. “When I do, some of the other guys will say, Man, if that other leg was whole, you'd be a freak.'”

Perhaps so, but had Brian Simmons not endured the surgeries, the ridicule and all the hardships, maybe he would not be the picture of hard work and inspiration he is today.

Like Coach Shipp said, it is those things that make him special.

- By Kenny Mossman, Sr. Associate Athletics Director/Communications

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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