Todd Simmons Jr. and His Path to the Draft

Turning your passion into a full-time career and a successful one at that can sometimes be challenging. There are different obstacles, from financial struggles and competition in your niche to a lack of support from friends and family. There is also self-doubt and discouragement from others who believe you can’t make it. This was the case for Todd Simmons Jr.

Todd Simmons is a college athlete from Washington, DC. Todd was ranked a 2-star JUCO Wr Prospect (top 15). He is also among the 2022 All-Conference Honors with 168 receptions, 901 yards, and 2 touchdowns in two seasons. However, getting here was challenging.

Todd was constantly told why he could never make it to the NFL without being in a power 5 school and that he should stop trying. But he wasn’t ready to give up on his passion. Todd has loved/played football since he was 13. Before then, he was a basketball player.

Todd played basketball for six years before leaving to focus solely on football. His first position as a footballer was a QB.

At the time, he was in high school. Todd Simmons Jr is an alumnus of The Avalon School, a small private all-boys catholic school. He played high school football with Trevon Diggs Cornerback for Dallas Cowboys, moving from a QB to wide receiver by the time he started college.

Todd attended Charleston University and was mentored in his first year by Michael Strachan, now WR Indianapolis Colts. He then transferred to JUCO to seek a D1 opportunity in Kansas at Independence Community College and earned 8 division 1 scholarships without having a playing season because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Todd graduated and transferred to Wagner College, where he played his first year at the Division 1 level.

Todd has been offered scholarships by various universities, including Howard University, Morgan State, Bowie State, and Delaware State. But he turned down these offers and took a preferred walk-on from the University of Maryland. Todd knew he could play at an even higher level and took the risk.

The last few years have been challenging for Todd, especially JUCO. He was struggling financially, and at some point, he didn’t have money even for food. He also lost one of his close friends when in Kansas. But Todd had to keep himself motivated through all this and keep fighting for his dreams.

Todd has continued showing up and has now built a solid name. He started marketing himself to hundreds of schools through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. He captured the attention of well-known athletes like Cam Newton, Dawayne Haskins, Torrey Smith, Chad Johnson, and Trace McSorley. Todd was featured in Cam Newton’s new Netflix series. As he continues to thrive, his eye is on the NFL.

Todd Simmons Jr has not given up playing in the NFL, and as he continues his journey, he hopes to inspire and motivate other underdogs like himself. “In a few years, I see myself as a professional NFL player. My second goal is to build a non-profit to help other underdogs like me make it to whatever league they choose to play in, ” Todd says.

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Tags: Football, NFL, sports, Todd Simmons Jr.

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.