Jeffery Simmons NFL's elite Defensive star shares what he is still chasing, reveals what we don't see with Cam Ward, talks Cardell Tate, leadership, gets real about adversity, envy of Mike Vrabel and why Tennessee's time is now with new coaching regime.

**Ryan Clark** (0:00)
The training camp tour starts in Tennessee, and we're kicking it off with one of the most dominant defensive players in football. Four-time pro bowler, three-time all-pro Tennessee Titans defensive tackle, Jeffrey Simmons, is about to join me, Freddie T, and Chan.
We talked his unique bond with second-year quarterback, Cam Ward, and why he's made sure that everybody in that locker room understands that Cam is the unquestioned leader of this team. He speaks to the mindset that turns him to a different breed the moment he steps between the lines. I mean, this is big Jeff like you've never heard of. He explains his jealousy watching former head coach Mike Vrabel reach the Super Bowl in his first season with the New England Patriots. Then the conversation takes us back to one of the most emotional nights of his life, the NFL Draft. A moment that started as the happiest day he'd ever experienced before changing in the instant, leading him to shut off his TV and begin a journey that defined the next seven years of his life. Since then, Jeffrey has spent every season not only proving that he's one of the best defensive players in football, but that he's also the kind of man and teammate and organization can build around. This is a powerful conversation. We talk adversity, perseverance, motivation, and how his broad shoulders can carry the weight of a franchise. The training camps tour is stopping in Tennessee, and it's Jeffrey Simmons on The Pivot.
Chan, you look cute, too, in your Titans gear.

**Jeffrey Simmons** (1:50)
Man, you see how big this dude is?

**Channing Crowder** (1:51)
I'm gonna get on his good side. I saw him choke somebody out the day of practice. I said, no sir, not me.

**Jeffrey Simmons** (1:57)
I appreciate you wearing the colors. Somebody came to him with that yellow and black on, you know.

**Ryan Clark** (2:01)
Yeah, hey, but it's the color of the podcast though, Jeffrey, it's not anything about what teams I represent.

**Jeffrey Simmons** (2:07)
I didn't say that, I just said somebody can't yellow black, you know.

**Ryan Clark** (2:09)
I just wanna make sure he'll put hands on me, like he did old boy out there the day on the field.

**Channing Crowder** (2:13)
Let's cut this thing in half, so we got talking shit on.

**Fred Taylor** (2:16)
You had just said they had a pleasant practice, was no fights.

**Channing Crowder** (2:20)
Yeah, it wasn't no fights.

**Jeffrey Simmons** (2:21)
They kind of warned us of that. No punches.

**Ryan Clark** (2:24)
Yeah.

**Channing Crowder** (2:25)
Yeah, they're gonna get out of there once the pads get on.

**Jeffrey Simmons** (2:27)
It's gonna get real.

**Channing Crowder** (2:29)
I like it.

**Ryan Clark** (2:29)
Man, Jeffrey Simmons, man, welcome to The Pivot. We are really excited to have you. This is Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor, Ryan Clark. Pivot fam, thank you for pivoting with us as usual.
Hatch, you know, that's my guy, got to play with him. One of the best dudes I know. I know you guys are extremely close as well. You know, Interior D. Lyman, made a ton of plays very much like yourself. If you take 2025, in the last 10 years, only you and Aaron Donald were able to have a year of, I think it's 10 plus sacks, 16 tackle for loss.
I think it's three force fumbles, three pass defense. Right, that's a level of greatness of this generation that comes with a high level of respect. For you, Jeffrey, how important is it that you show up as your best self all the time to be included in some of those conversations?

**Jeffrey Simmons** (3:23)
I mean, when I step on the field, it's not for me, it's like people gon talk, players gon feel the way they wanna feel. I mean, it's one of them things to where when I step on the field, I don't care about nothing else, but how can I be the best for my team?
And my first couple of years in the league is, man, let me set a goal, let me set a goal for 10 sacks a year, let me set a goal, I want this man to attack for loss.
But it took me away from the main goal, because once some games get going, and it's fourth quarter, I don't have a sack, I don't have attack for loss, is now I'm chasing plays, now I'm hurting the defense by jumping out of the gap, trying to make a play. So as I got older, especially last year, coming into the season, my thing was how can I really focus on being in the moment? And for me, being in the moment was just, oh, you know, make the play with it, is celebrate my teammate. Because I know I'm gonna get the slot, I know I'm gonna get double team, triple team. But when my opportunity come to make that play, you know, I can't not be ready for it. And it's like the one-on-ones, I mean, as much as I get double, I don't know when they're gonna come. But it's also, when a double team come, how can I create my one-on-one, even with a double team? How can I get to the center? Y'all know, most centers, they're the lightest, the worst offensive lineman play center on team. So it's how can I get to them guys on a different level to affect the game and affect the quarterback. So that's just my mindset. When I touched that field, and I told, I remember being on the set with Oramstead, it's like, I see red. If you got a different color on, it's red. And it's you in my way, and you trying to stop me from feeding my family. And that's how I play the game.