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Published Sep 24, 2020
Antjuan Simmons, in pursuit of excellence
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Jim Comparoni  •  Spartans Illustrated
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The player-coach relationship between Antjuan Simmons and Mel Tucker is off to a strong start, and it’s likely to have a positive impact upon Michigan State football for the near and long term.

Simmons, as likely a candidate to be team captain as we’ve seen at Michigan State in years, impressed Tucker through the early, unpredictable months of the new coach’s tenure. Simmons emerged as a valued sounding board. Tucker learned he could gauge the mindset of the team through Simmons.

When Tucker presided over the first full team practice of his coaching tenure at Michigan State on Monday, Simmons wasn’t disappointed. The head coach’s demanding approach was exactly what Simmons wanted.

“The intensity is through the roof,” Simmons said. “You definitely have to come ready to go, with the right mindset or you’ll quickly fall off the train.”

Simmons is an important part of that train.

“Antjuan is one of my favorite guys already,” Tucker said during a presentation of the Mel Tucker Radio Show earlier this month.

Tucker interviewed Simmons during the radio show, and thanked the senior linebacker from Ann Arbor for his dedication and leadership during the tumultuous spring and summer of 2020.

“You have been very, very helpful to me as a head coach,” Tucker told Simmons. “You are part of the leadership group, the Eagle group. Being able to bounce ideas off of you, you have a really good pulse for our team and you are not afraid to speak up.”

Simmons was honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2019. He has 156 career tackles, the most of any current Spartan.

Simmons is emerging as the player-face of the program. His bushy hair, huge smile and thick-rimmed glasses command your attention. He somehow exudes confidence and humility. His sincere disposition wins your heart.

“I have a lot of respect for you because I can tell you keep it real and tell it how it is,” Tucker told Simmons. “You’re not trying to sugar coat things. That’s been very valuable to me as a head coach, especially during this time with COVID-19 and some of the racial injustice issues that we’ve dealt with.”

“I just try to do what’s right,” Simmons told Tucker. “I know what’s right and what’s wrong and that’s how I operate. Ain’t no in between. I’m not trying to satisfy anybody’s specific needs or wants. I just operate in the best interest for the team and keep everybody positive and going forward.”

Simmons identified Tucker’s approach during Monday’s practice as positive dose of discipline for a program still in transition.

When asked to rate Tucker’s level of intensity on day one from a scale of one to 10, Simmons said: “He’s a 10, and probably plus some. He came out with his whistle wet and he was ready to go and he was blowing that whistle every chance he got. He was ready. When he hit the sidelines, it was have your shirts tucked in, none of that razzle dazzle or any of that extra stuff, and be ready to go, let’s bring excitement and run to the ball.

“He’s holding everybody accountable - like every single person. Coaches have to run to the ball just like players do. It’s insane.

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