Community college football: OCC lands prize recruit Simmons

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Marvin Simmons, a 2000 Parade All-American linebacker

who had his sights set on USC, enrolled in classes at Orange Coast

College and practiced with the Pirates football team Tuesday.

He was academically ineligible to play for the Trojans and had

considered Compton College, El Camino, San Francisco City and East Los

Angeles before deciding on OCC.

“What drew me to OCC is the great academic program that they have

here,” Simmons said before practice. “I had the opportunity to meet the

players before I made my decision and I realized the type of

player/family they have here. As far as the coaches, they are

player-coaches and the way they get across to the players is just the

type of situation I want to be in. Coach (Mike) Taylor is a great guy and

he has a great background as a coach.”

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker out of Long Beach Poly High, is

“the most credentialed player OCC has ever landed,” said OCC Coach Mike

Taylor, who has been on the Pirates’ staff for the past 16 years.

Aside from Simmons’ Parade All-American status, he has also earned

Prep Star All-American, Student Sports Senior All-American, Prep Star

Dream Team, Student Sports Top 100, SuperPrep All-Far West, Prep Star

All-Western Region Super 30, All-CIF Southern Section first team,

All-Southern Section (all divisions) and Cal-Hi Sports All-State team

honors, among others.

Last year, Simmons made 138 tackles, 45 for losses. He also had 12

sacks, four blocked punts, four blocked field goals, two interceptions

and 20 forced fumbles, leading the Jackrabbits to a 14-0 record and a CIF

Division I championship. Poly shared the Division I crown with Mater Dei

in 1999.

“We’re happy that he’s at Orange Coast,” said Taylor, who gave Simmons

a tour of the campus and introduced him to OCC President Margaret

Gratton. “We’re going to make his experience here, both athletically and

academically, the best it can be. We know he wants to go back to USC, so

we want to make that dream come true two years from now.”

After realizing he could not play at USC, Simmons searched a junior

college to play for and improve academically. He said USC recommended

OCC, but not the other schools he was considering.

“Since it didn’t happen I thought as if (USC) wasn’t meant to be and

that there’s something better here,” said Simmons, who had a special

message for the people following his career. “Those who believe in me,

keep believing and I won’t let you down. I will be back. That’s why I’m

excited that I can come to a school like Orange Coast because they can

make it happen.”

OCC wide receiver Alphonso Williams, who played at Long Beach Poly

with Simmons last year, also talked the linebacker into choosing Coast.

Randy Gaither, the Pirates’ running back who played against Simmons,

while at Long Beach Jordan, also talked to Simmons about coming to OCC.

Simmons said he also had a “good long talk,” with OCC defensive

lineman Dan Stringer, a sophomore and one of the Pirates’ leaders on

defense.

“I want us to win the Mission Conference (title),” Simmons said. “I

know there’s no doubt that we have the ability to do it. We have the

coaching staff to do it. The team is focused. The guys are excited about

getting the season started and I’m excited to be here. I want to make

all-everything while I’m here as a linebacker. I want to go back to USC.”

Simmons practiced in shorts and a T-shirt Tuesday and will do so for

the next two days. He will not play in the Pirates’ scrimmage with Santa

Monica Friday. He is slated to start as OCC’s middle linebacker, Taylor

said, and should be ready to go for the Pirates’ season opener, Sept. 8

at East L.A.

The Bucs lost three linebackers to graduation last year in Justin

Blackard, Martin Janzon and Dustin Davis, but Taylor said he expects

Simmons will improve the defense.

“This gives us a big strong guy in the middle and makes the people

around him better players,” Taylor said. “He’s going to help mold this

team in being the team it was a year ago on defense and he’ll put

everything together.”