Amitral "AJ" Simon Jr. (December 2, 1998 – April 17, 2024)[1] was an American football defensive end for the Albany Great Danes. He previously played for the Bloomsburg Huskies.
| Albany Great Danes – No. 8 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 2, 1998[1] |
| Died: | April 17, 2024 (aged 25) |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 267 lb (121 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Pocono Mountain West (Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania) |
| |
Early life and high school edit
Coming out of high school in 2018, Simon decided to commit to play college football for the Bloomsburg Huskies.[2]
College career edit
Bloomsburg edit
During Simon's career at Bloomsburg, he notched 80 tackles with 20 being for a loss, 11.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and three forced fumbles.[3]
Albany edit
For the 2022 season, Simon decided to transfer to play for the Albany Great Danes.[4][5] During Simon's first season with the Great Danes, Simon tallied five sacks.[6] In Simon's last collegiate season in 2023, Simon totaled 55 tackles and 12.5 sacks.[7] For his performance on the 2023 season, Simon was named first team all CAA, and a FCS All American.[8] After the conclusion of the 2023 season, Simon decided to declare for the 2024 NFL draft.[9][10]
Death edit
On April 17, 2024, just a week before the 2024 NFL draft, Simon was pronounced dead at the age of 25 with the cause of death unknown.[11][12]
References edit
- ^ a b "AJ Simon". Twitter. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ Wells, Adam. "AJ Simon Dies; 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Played DL for University at Albany". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "AJ Simon". Bloomsburg University Athletics. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Madani, Doha (18 April 2024). "NFL prospect AJ Simon dies one week before the draft". NBC News. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Parks, James (17 April 2024). "Ex-college football player, NFL Draft hopeful AJ Simon dies at 25". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Albany football star AJ Simon Jr. dies week before NFL Draft". The Athletic. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Fenner, Jake (18 April 2024). "Tributes pour in after NFL hopeful AJ Simon tragically dies aged 25... as fellow draft prospect Jared Verse reveals he spoke to late former teammate shortly before passing: 'Rest easy big man!'". Daily Mail Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Vasquez, Ingrid. "Albany Football Star AJ Simon Dead at 25, 1 Week Before NFL Draft". People.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Michael. "UAlbany football star Amitral 'A.J.' Simon Jr. dies week before NFL draft". Times Union. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Wang, Jackson (17 April 2024). "AJ Simon, vaunted UAlbany pass rusher, dead at 25". Spectrum News. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Albany NFL draft hopeful AJ Simon dies at age 25". ESPN. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Neumann, Sean; Dye, Natasha. "Former Coaches, Teammates Honor NFL Prospect AJ Simon After Sudden Death: 'A Tremendous Player'". Peoples.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.