Mississippi State’s Simmons Takes Home the 2018 C Spire Conerly Trophy

Jackson, MS: Jeffery Simmons, a junior defensive tackle, is the winner of the C Spire Conerly Trophy for 2018.  Simmons is the twenty-third winner of the award which has been given each year since 1996.  A pre-season All-American, Simmons has lived up to his hype.  He made a total of 59 tackles on the season with 24 solo tackles.  He also made a team-high 14.5 tackles for a loss.  He is expected to be high on NFL draft lists.

Simmons is the eighth Bulldog to take home the C Spire Conerly Trophy in the history of the award.  Other Mississippi State players earning the hardware include two-time recipient Dak Prescott who along with Eli Manning of Ole Miss are the only multiple winners.

Simmons’s teammate, Elgton Jenkins earlier was announced as the winner of the Kent Hull Trophy.  The State center was picked as the top offensive lineman in the state this year.  He becomes the sixth winner of that honor with the previous five winners all going on to careers in the NFL.  He is the fourth Bulldog to take home the trophy.

Players from five of the ten schools in the state that play collegiate football have won the C Spire Conerly Trophy.  Simmons’ win ties MSU with Ole Miss for 8 trophy wins while the University of Southern Mississippi has won 4, Delta State two and Millsap’s one.  The annual award is presented the Tuesday following Thanksgiving each year.

The Conerly Trophy banquet has been presented by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame since its inception and C Spire has sponsored the event each year since 1998 and also sponsors the most outstanding player awards for women’s and men’s basketball and for baseball.