NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has been named the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame’s “Professional Athlete of the Year,” according to the Tennessee Titans.
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame announced its 2026 Achievement Award recipients on Wednesday. Simmons is set to be honored during the organization’s annual banquet in July.
According to the Titans, Simmons is coming off a standout 2025 season in which he recorded a career-high 11 sacks, along with 60 quarterback pressures, 67 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
The Titans said Simmons broke former defensive tackle Jurrell Casey’s franchise-era record for sacks by a Titans defensive tackle, surpassing the 10.5 sacks Casey posted in 2013.
Simmons, now entering his seventh NFL season, has also built a lengthy list of honors off the field and in the locker room. He has served as a team captain five times, earned four Pro Bowl selections and won the Titans’ Community Man of the Year award three times.
The Titans also noted Simmons was named first-team All-Pro in 2025 after previously earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and 2022.
According to the team, Simmons and Aaron Donald are the only NFL defensive tackles over the past decade to post at least 10 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three passes defended in a single season.
