A former Clemson Tigers star defender has received a new opportunity in the NFL.
The Clemson Tigers have quite a few former stars playing in the NFL. One of the most forgotten former stars in the league right now is linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
During his college career at Clemson, Simmons put together big-time numbers. He racked up 239 total tackles to go along with 9.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four interceptions, a defensive touchdown, and 20 defended passes across four seasons with the Tigers.
Following his stellar college career, Simmons went on to become the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft class. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals.
Early on in his career, Simmons showed flashes of the talent that he showcased at Clemson. Unfortunately, those flashes never turned into consistency.
As a rookie in 2020, he totaled 54 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception, and two defended passes in 16 games. He backed that up with 105 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, an interception, and seven defended passes in 2021.
In his final season with the Cardinals in 2022, Simmons ended up with 99 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, a defensive touchdown, and seven defended passes.
He played the next two years of his career with the New York Giants, playing in 34 games. Simmons put together 71 total tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, an interception, a defensive touchdown, and five defended passes in those two years with the Giants.
So far this season, Simmons has not latched on with a team. That changed on Tuesday.
Simmons was signed by the Carolina Panthers. He will have an opportunity to resurrect his career back in the Carolina's.
Clemson fans will not soon forget the impact that Simmons made during his college career. He still has a lot of fans within the fan base of the program. Hopefully, signing with the Panthers will give him the fresh start that he needs.
Make sure to stay tuned. We'll have more updates about Simmons, the Tigers, and other former Clemson stars who are currently playing at the professional level.