Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Former Alabama Transfer Simmons Now One of WVU’s Most Experienced WRs
March 26, 2019 10:59 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – T.J. Simmons has played for Nick Saban at Alabama. He's played for Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia, and now he's on his third coach, Neal Brown.
All three are successful, albeit doing things a little bit differently.
Simmons says of the three, Brown and Saban are probably the most similar as far as their organizational skills and meticulous planning.
"They're a lot alike as far as how they want things to be done, but as far as during practice Coach Saban is definitely into it. He's strict," Simmons said. "He's serious at all times during practice while coach Brown will joke around with you. He was a receiver guy and coach Saban was a DB, so he relates to me more. He tries to teach me technique more than coach Saban would."
At Alabama, Simmons said it was about learning your business and doing what you're supposed to do at all times.
"I learned two offenses at Alabama, and this is now my fourth offense to learn," he explained. "It's like knowing and adapting and being able to pick up a new offense real quick."
Brown mentioned earlier this spring that his offensive system has some similarities to Holgorsen's and there is some carryover for the players.
Simmons says he sees some of that.
"Probably routes, being fast, starting fast and finishing fast," he said. "That's probably something that carries over, but they're two different coaches and two different coaching staffs. They're bringing their own styles into the game, so we're learning different things."
Holgorsen was known for his blue golf cart that he drove around the practice facility while Brown conducts his practices with a microphone, shouting out instructions like a maestro through a public address system on the field to his players.
It sort of reminds you of the Bodies in Motion guy, Gilad, on those old morning workout shows that aired on ESPN the way he gets everyone moving around.
Nick Saban?
Simmons said his old coach gets guys moving without a microphone.
"You can hear him from across the field," he laughed. "Coach Holgs would be on the golf cart riding around so he could get up on you. Coach Brown has got the mic so everybody on the field can hear him."
Simmons said it's been somewhat of an adjustment for the players getting used to how Brown wants them to practice.
The pace is much more brisk than what they were once accustomed to doing.
"We're still trying to get into the flow, and everybody still doesn't really know where to go, but as far as how it's run, it's a lot like coach Saban because he always says 'nobody is standing around' and we're always moving," Simmons said. "That's a big thing coach Brown is on. Each period is something different from one period to the next. You just keep moving around to something constantly different. With Holgs, we might have gotten two or three periods of the same type of drills."
Last year, Simmons was used mostly at outside receiver with David Sills V and Marcus Simms after playing inside at Alabama. He said he actually played slot receiver and tight end in high school and was more accustomed to going up against linebackers and safeties rather than sleek, athletic corners.
It was in high school where he also learned to become such a determined and physical blocker. Mountaineer fans certainly won't forget Simmons' personal foul penalty for blocking an Oklahoma defensive back all the way to the concrete wall, negating Kennedy McKoy's 73-yard run to the 2-yard-line in last year's three-point loss to the Sooners.
Just two plays after Simmons' unusual penalty, quarterback Will Grier was strip-sacked by Curtis Bolton, who scooped up the ball and returned it 48 yards for the game's deciding touchdown.
"That's something my coaches in high school emphasized, 'When you don't have the ball you've got to block.' If I didn't block on the perimeter they may bounce the play out my way like the Oklahoma game," Simmons explained. "If I didn't block that dude out of bounds, Kennedy would have gotten tackled."
With Sills and Jennings gone, Simmons, who caught 28 passes for 341 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore in 2018, joins Simms as the two most experienced pass catchers on this year's team.
Both are being looked upon as leaders in 2019.
"Me being one of the oldest guys and David and Gary not being here, it's like I've got to step up, and I've got to be that guy in the receivers group who pushes everybody and tries to get everybody to do everything right," Simmons said. "Those guys pushed the receivers and the rest of the team, and now it's my turn."
The guys Simmons is pushing in the receivers room are mostly freshmen and redshirt freshmen this year.
He admits they're still growing and maturing.
"It's kind of hard on them us getting new coaches and a new offense because they were just starting to get a hang of the old offense," Simmons said. "And I've been there. At Alabama when I was a freshman, the installs in camp were intense.
"We were learning like six to eight new plays every day, and you had to execute those plays correctly each day in practice," he mentioned. "I think they're going to be good once they get the offense down.
"When they know what they're doing they will be able to play faster, and you will see their talents stand out," Simmons concluded.
All three are successful, albeit doing things a little bit differently.
Simmons says of the three, Brown and Saban are probably the most similar as far as their organizational skills and meticulous planning.
"They're a lot alike as far as how they want things to be done, but as far as during practice Coach Saban is definitely into it. He's strict," Simmons said. "He's serious at all times during practice while coach Brown will joke around with you. He was a receiver guy and coach Saban was a DB, so he relates to me more. He tries to teach me technique more than coach Saban would."
At Alabama, Simmons said it was about learning your business and doing what you're supposed to do at all times.
"I learned two offenses at Alabama, and this is now my fourth offense to learn," he explained. "It's like knowing and adapting and being able to pick up a new offense real quick."
Brown mentioned earlier this spring that his offensive system has some similarities to Holgorsen's and there is some carryover for the players.
Simmons says he sees some of that.
"Probably routes, being fast, starting fast and finishing fast," he said. "That's probably something that carries over, but they're two different coaches and two different coaching staffs. They're bringing their own styles into the game, so we're learning different things."
Holgorsen was known for his blue golf cart that he drove around the practice facility while Brown conducts his practices with a microphone, shouting out instructions like a maestro through a public address system on the field to his players.
It sort of reminds you of the Bodies in Motion guy, Gilad, on those old morning workout shows that aired on ESPN the way he gets everyone moving around.
Nick Saban?
Simmons said his old coach gets guys moving without a microphone.
"You can hear him from across the field," he laughed. "Coach Holgs would be on the golf cart riding around so he could get up on you. Coach Brown has got the mic so everybody on the field can hear him."
Simmons said it's been somewhat of an adjustment for the players getting used to how Brown wants them to practice.
The pace is much more brisk than what they were once accustomed to doing.
"We're still trying to get into the flow, and everybody still doesn't really know where to go, but as far as how it's run, it's a lot like coach Saban because he always says 'nobody is standing around' and we're always moving," Simmons said. "That's a big thing coach Brown is on. Each period is something different from one period to the next. You just keep moving around to something constantly different. With Holgs, we might have gotten two or three periods of the same type of drills."
Last year, Simmons was used mostly at outside receiver with David Sills V and Marcus Simms after playing inside at Alabama. He said he actually played slot receiver and tight end in high school and was more accustomed to going up against linebackers and safeties rather than sleek, athletic corners.
It was in high school where he also learned to become such a determined and physical blocker. Mountaineer fans certainly won't forget Simmons' personal foul penalty for blocking an Oklahoma defensive back all the way to the concrete wall, negating Kennedy McKoy's 73-yard run to the 2-yard-line in last year's three-point loss to the Sooners.
Just two plays after Simmons' unusual penalty, quarterback Will Grier was strip-sacked by Curtis Bolton, who scooped up the ball and returned it 48 yards for the game's deciding touchdown.
"That's something my coaches in high school emphasized, 'When you don't have the ball you've got to block.' If I didn't block on the perimeter they may bounce the play out my way like the Oklahoma game," Simmons explained. "If I didn't block that dude out of bounds, Kennedy would have gotten tackled."
With Sills and Jennings gone, Simmons, who caught 28 passes for 341 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore in 2018, joins Simms as the two most experienced pass catchers on this year's team.
Both are being looked upon as leaders in 2019.
"Me being one of the oldest guys and David and Gary not being here, it's like I've got to step up, and I've got to be that guy in the receivers group who pushes everybody and tries to get everybody to do everything right," Simmons said. "Those guys pushed the receivers and the rest of the team, and now it's my turn."
The guys Simmons is pushing in the receivers room are mostly freshmen and redshirt freshmen this year.
He admits they're still growing and maturing.
"It's kind of hard on them us getting new coaches and a new offense because they were just starting to get a hang of the old offense," Simmons said. "And I've been there. At Alabama when I was a freshman, the installs in camp were intense.
"We were learning like six to eight new plays every day, and you had to execute those plays correctly each day in practice," he mentioned. "I think they're going to be good once they get the offense down.
"When they know what they're doing they will be able to play faster, and you will see their talents stand out," Simmons concluded.
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