Wayne Simmons 1970-2002

Wayne Simmons, a former first round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers, died tragically last Friday morning in a high speed, single vehicle accident in Independence, Missouri.

Simmons, a linebacker from Clemson University, was selected by the Packers in the first round of the 1993 draft. Drafted to fill an obvious void in the Packers linebacking corps, Simmons immediately became a starter at outside linebacker and became a fixture on the Packers defense for the next four years.

A strong, physical, athletic player who was a capable defender against both thre run and pass, Simmons will probably be remembered best for the gem of a game he turned in against the 49ers in the 1995 Divisional Playoffs. On the first play of the game, Simmons created a turnover when he delivered a bone jarring hit to 49ers running back, Adam Walker. He spent the rest of the afternoon patrolling the middle of the field, wreaking havoc on the 49ers receivers, and disrupting thier short passing game.

The following year, Simmons was an instrumental part of a Packers defensive squad that helped propel Green Bay to a Super Bowl Championship. It was his firey, aggressive demeanor, however, that led to Wayne Simmons' demise in Green Bay. Several off the field problems drew the attention and ire of Packers head coach, Mike Holmgren. Holmgren elected to trade the rough and tumble linebacker to the Kansas City Chiefs in the early part of the '97 season. As a member of the Chiefs, Simmons was unable to create a niche for himself on the team, and failed to duplicate the success he enjoyed in Green Bay. He was unceremoniously dumped by Kansas City in the middle of the '98 season and quietly played out the final few games of his career as a member of the Buffalo Bills.

Unfortunately, Wayne Simmons never fully realized his playing potential. He was clearly one of the most talented Packers linebackers in recent memory but was routinely overshadowed by high profile teamates like Reggie White and LeRoy Butler. Despite his physically imposing athleticism and his rare ability to single handedly take over a game, Simmons couldn't control his life off the field. What could have been a celebrated career as a Green Bay Packer ended far too prematurely.

Last Friday morning, Wayne Simmons, driving his Mercedes, was weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed when he apparently lost control of his car. The vehicle left the roadway, overturned several times, and burst into flames. Simmons was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

It's almost ironic that the last few fateful moments of Wayne Simmons' life eerily mirrored his puzzling playing career; a wild, crazy, short lived ride that ended way too soon.

--John Lory, Copyright 2002