They Called Him ‘Slimmons’—He Became a Defensive Nightmare

When Isaiah Simmons arrived at Clemson, teammates had a nickname for him: “Slimmons.”
It wasn’t a compliment.

He was long, lanky, and unassuming—hardly the blueprint for a defensive enforcer. At 6’4” but just 215 pounds, Simmons looked more like a track athlete than a linebacker. But what he lacked in size, he made up for in hunger.

“I heard it every day. I wasn’t big enough, strong enough, mean enough,” Simmons once told ESPN. “I decided I didn’t want to prove them wrong—I wanted to prove myself right.”

He hit the weight room with a vengeance, transforming not just his body but his mindset. Within two years, Simmons was playing everywhere: linebacker, safety, nickel corner—even edge rusher. Coaches stopped asking where to put him. They just asked how fast he could get there.

In 2019, Simmons won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker and declared for the NFL Draft. The Cardinals took him No. 8 overall. But even in the pros, questions lingered. “Is he too versatile? Does he even have a position?”

None of that fazed Simmons. He stayed quiet—and worked.

Now with the Packers, Simmons has returned to form, playing a hybrid role in Joe Barry’s defense. And while he no longer hears “Slimmons,” the sting of that nickname still fuels his fire.

Because sometimes, the best defenders don’t come from the weight room. They come from within.