The trash talk started at a birthday party and ended with Jeffrey Simmons knowing the Tennessee Titans had found their franchise quarterback.
When Cam Ward threw that 80-yard bomb to Calvin Ridley after getting sacked and hearing it from the veteran defensive tackle, everything clicked for Simmons. The Heisman Trophy winner wasn’t just talented, he was unshakeable.
Why Does Jeffrey Simmons Think Cam Ward Isn’t Getting Enough Respect?
Having spent six seasons in the NFL, Simmons knows what separates players who stick around from those who don’t. The three-time Pro Bowler believes Ward has that exceptional quality, but he’s frustrated by the lack of attention his rookie teammate receives.
“I’ve never seen a No. 1 pick overall never get the respect and, quite frankly, the attention that he deserves,” Simmons said Thursday on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
The defensive tackle first met Ward at a private birthday party the Saturday before minicamp. Right away, they started talking trash to each other.
Simmons had heard that Ward was picking apart the defense in practice while talking smack to defenders. He let the rookie know he’d bring that same energy back.
What Happened When Simmons and Ward Faced Off in Practice?
“I was like, ‘I’m gonna bring that to you, too, man,'” Simmons said. “Like, ‘I talk smack.’ We started there, and just to be able to get that relationship with him off the field, we chopped it up for a long time, talked about fishing and things that he likes to do off the field. I think that’s what mattered the most for me, especially with a young guy trying to gain that relationship with guys off the field to make them feel comfortable.
“We know that Cam Ward (is) gonna have to play football for us this season, and it’s my goal and my job to help him out.”
The real test came during minicamp when Simmons got to Ward for a sack. The veteran defender stayed in the quarterback’s ear even as the next play was called. Ward didn’t flinch. Instead, he talked back while receiving the play call and relaying it to his offense.
Then came the moment that convinced Simmons the Titans had found something special. After all that trash talk, Ward lined up and delivered a perfect strike.
“That next play, after the smack talk, he threw an 80-yard bomb to Calvin Ridley,” Simmons said.
That sequence told Simmons everything he needed to know about his new quarterback. The pressure didn’t rattle Ward, and the trash talk didn’t shake his confidence. He simply responded by making the kind of throw that wins games.
Simmons points to that moment as proof that the Titans “got us one. He’s legit,” the defensive lineman said.
