Safety/Linebacker Isaiah Simmons
Q: (On what factors contributed to his successful block...)
A: "Focus and preparation."
Q: (On what was going through his mind as he prepared for the play...)
A: "I knew I was going to be able to get up high enough. My biggest thing was being able to double-bounce. So land, and go right back up. There's no time for anything else. Once I felt myself clear, the only thing in my mind, I'm like, is touch and go, touch and go, touch and go. I guess my long jump skills came into play there."
Q: (On what impact the situation had on his effort...)
A: "I didn't really think too much think of it like that. Obviously it was a very big play to end the game. It caused us to win the game. Keep it real. Just how my season has gone so far hasn't been at all what I wanted. Just being able to come in there and make that play for the guys, you know. I don't know, they can believe in me or not. That was moreso what I wanted to do. Just show them I'm capable of making those game-changing plays regardless if it's at the very end or if it's in the first quarter. Personally, I believe that I'm the type of player that can help the team make plays like that often."
Q: (On if he means on defense as well...)
A: "Correct, correct."
Q: (On if this was a planned play they worked on in practice...)
A: "We practiced that. I've only practiced it once, though. So that was my second live rep."
Q: (On if the play came up on Tuesday...)
A: "Yeah. It was just kind of random. I didn't practice it until Friday, though. Friday I did it one time, and that was it."
Q: (On if it worked in practice...)
A: "Yeah, but you know, it's practice. So the guy (long snapper) is obviously letting me get over him."
Q: (On if this was his first such involvement in a blocking scheme...)
A: "That was the first time. I'm normally not on field goal blocks. I said today I was going to block a punt or field goal, one of the two. I didn't know which one, But it was going to be one of them."
Q: (On if a track & field coach somewhere is happy for him...)
A: "For sure, for sure. I'm sure my Clemson jump coach, I'm sure he's happy for me right now. All my Jamaican coaches from growing up, I know they're all happy with me. I know they're all smiling somewhere. Like, there goes that track background. My dad is probably as happy as hell, too, right now. My phone is going crazy right now."
Q: (On the difficulty...)
A: "I think the hardest part is you have to jump up first and then go forward, because you can't touch anywhere else or it gets called back."
Q: (On Bryce Ford-Wheaton's return...)
A: "I said, be prepared to scoop, because it's getting blocked. See that ball off wherever it hits, just see it off. I promise it's getting blocked. So just be ready to scoop. He was more than ready to scoop from what I've seen I'm happy for BFW. Good for him."
Q: (On the successful outcome...)
A: "My college roommate plays for the Seahawks, K'Von Wallace, he saw me in there. He knows I'm not on the (block team). He said (after the game), when I saw you in the interior, he's like, he's going to jump. Only he noticed, I guess. Nobody else noticed."
