Clemson Tigers College Football Pregame Quote, 12/26/2019

Do you know what kind of pushed you into coming back?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I would say it was tough. I always promised my mom that I would get my degree. That was the main thing that drove me to come back. I also didn’t want to sell myself short. I felt like if I would have left last year, then I would be leaving some things on the table.

Do you think you were able to show what kind of player you are this year?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: That’s just been the story of my life. Wasn’t the highest recruit. Even with that, it doesn’t bother me at all. I just kind of go out there and do what I do.

You originally wanted to go to Arkansas. Clemson came on late, can you tell me what thatwas like.

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I had one official visit left. I had to modify my official schedule. I had took an official on Friday, Saturday. Then that Monday, I went to Michigan, and then I went straight to Clemson. That was a really hectic week. Ending on Clemson was probably the best thing I could have done. I knew once I came that it was going to be the place for me. It’s just a really special place. I don’t see how people don’t choose it when they take business there. But it’s just everything I wanted in a university.

When you look at Ohio State on film, you look at their offense, is there any one player in particular that stands out that you weren’t expecting to stand out?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: Not at all. I expect all of them to be great players. That’s what they are. It’s hard. You can’t find a weakness in them. Everybody is good at every position. So yeah, everybody is great.

When you look at Justin Fields and what he’s been able to do, do you talk to Trevor[Lawrence] at all about what he’s like and how you can affect him, since they have a history going back?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I haven’t. I just try to study him closely on film and try to figure out a way to stop him if I can.

What do you think is going to be the hardest part about playing the game on Saturday?What’s going to be the hardest thing about stopping the Ohio State offense?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I would say just running a one-on-one matchup. They have talent on all 11 positions on offense. J.K. [Dobbins], nobody ‚Äì I mean, nobody stopped him. They’re the number-one scoring offense in the nation for a reason. Hopefully we just keep it close in the fourth quarter and give ourselves a chance.

Do you see any comparisons with J.K. [Dobbins] and Travis [Etienne] and what they’reboth able to do, averaging yards per run?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I mean, like I said before, J.K. hasn’t been stopped yet. So I don’t know. We’re just going to have to play our best football against them.

To winning national titles from where you came from, what it’s like to be where you are now?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: It’s just an extreme blessing. Personally, I feel like it’s just hard work paid off. I’m a guy that loves to do extra. I just feel like a lot it is just hard work being paid off.

What made you picked over probably a lot of higher-rated guys going to Clemson. What made you think that you could play at that level?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I’ve always believed in myself, so I’m a competitor. I’m not a guy who wants to go in and take the easy road. If that was the case, I could have gone to another school. I feel like it was best for me future-wise. I grew up always being told, you don’t ever want to be the best athlete in the room, because then you can’t get better. I wanted to go in a place I was also going to have to work and grind and just keep pushing to get to where I wanted to go.

What was it about that visit that made you feel like this is where you want to be?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: It was everything. Coach Swinney is a man of faith, I’m a man of faith. Graduation rate is amazing there. I actually just graduated. That, and then the football is obviously there. It was more so on the things outside of football that I was looking for in a university. You have to spend three, four, to five years there. Everything I was looking for within a university was just there in Clemson.

When you’re talking about being among the recruited, what pushed you when you sentyour films out and wouldn’t get anything back? Obviously, the Arkansas thing is wellpublished. That’s where you wanted to go at the beginning. What motivated you and pushed you through disappointment?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: Pretty much it just showed me that I needed to get better. It pushed me to work harder in everything I did, maybe do a little bit more extra. Hopefully to maybe get noticed a little

Did you ever think you would be where you are today?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: Absolutely. Nobody dreams of being an okay guy. You always want to dream of being a superstar. So I mean, just dreaming big, I would say.

Is there anyone you would compare your own game to?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: My game? I would probably say Derwin James. He’s a really versatile guy. He kind of played the same role as me in college at Florida State. So probably him.

How much faith goes into the coaching staff when you make a position change?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: If I didn’t have faith in them, I would have never switched. Coach V (Brent Venables) is an amazing coach. He’s really, really smart, so I have complete faith in him when I switched.

How much do you think that switch led you to becoming this kind of player?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I think it was really helpful. I’m not going to say without the switch I don’t think I would be where I’m at. But I feel like it has helped me. It’s helped me grow into a completely different player. I think the switch helped me mentally. It helped me learn a lot, which being a student of the game, the mental aspect is way more important than the physical. Mentally, I feel like it helped me take my game to the next level.

Why do you think that is?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: Just having to learn. I had to learn more. I had to learn what the D-line did, what the linebackers next to me did. And that was something I didn’t know. It’s not something you absolutely need to know, but it’s something you should know. So just getting there and being able to learn what everyone did. So now I know literally what everyone does ‚Äì helped me.

What was the reaction you had the day they brought it up to you that, Hey, we want toswitch you to linebacker?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: So actually, I went in to talk to Coach V (Brent Venables) about it. And we happened to just be crossing paths with each other. I went to go tell him, but before I could even get it out, he had recommended it to me. I was like, That’s exactly what I was coming to tell you. Right then and there, I knew it was meant to be. We were both on the same page. Ever since then, I just ran with it.

Why did you think it was a good idea to switch?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: Honestly, I just thought it would benefit the team. It wasn’t even so much about me. So I had talked to a couple of my friends about it. They thought I would be good there, just for the versatility that’s within that position. So just doing that, being about to help the team, was the main thing.

Did you ever think when you were younger you would play linebacker? ISAIAH SIMMONS: I literally did play linebacker. It wasn’t too much different.

But you were going to college to be a safety?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: Yeah, absolutely.

What’s going to be the biggest challenge to try to stop a running back like [J.K.] Dobbins and Justin Fields?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: Hopefully being able to just keep the score close in the fourth quarter and give ourselves a shot. Nobody stopped him yet, so obviously it’s a hard thing to do. So we’ll see. I don’t know if there’s really any keys, because they destroy everybody. Try to find a weakness, if there is any.

What’s your favorite game to play on PlayStation?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I’m a “Call of Duty” guy.

Multiplayer? Campaign?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: Multiplayer, yeah. I haven’t even touched the Campaign yet, honestly.

What’s your favorite sports game to play?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: I like to play “Madden,” but I’m better at “2K.” But I enjoy “Madden.”

What’s the go-to team?

ISAIAH SIMMONS: So I’m not a bandwagon guy or nothing. I used to be a Thunder fan, because Russell Westbrook is my favorite player. So now I just decide to follow him. So now I like the Rockets.