Ko Simpson

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Ko Simpson
No. 30
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born: (1983-11-09) November 9, 1983 (age 40)
Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Rock Hill
College:South Carolina
NFL draft:2006 / Round: 4 / Pick: 105
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:174
Sacks:1
Forced fumbles:1
Fumble recoveries:1
Interceptions:3
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Yukota "Ko" Simpson (born November 9, 1983) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina.

He has also played for the Detroit Lions.

Early life[edit]

Simpson was born in Rock Hill, South Carolina and attended Castle Heights Middle School and Rock Hill High School where he helped lead the team to a Class AAAA State Championship playing on both offense and defense. He signed a letter of intent with South Carolina in 2003, but did not enroll until spring of 2004 under then head coach Lou Holtz.[1]

College career[edit]

Simpson attended and played college football at South Carolina.[2] In his freshman season, Simpson recorded 50 solo tackles, 11 assists and six interceptions. Against Georgia, in only his second collegiate game, he intercepted a David Greene pass and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Gamecocks' win over Arkansas which included a fumble recovery returned 57 yards for a touchdown.[1] His six interceptions led the Southeastern Conference and he was named Freshman of the Year in the SEC by the Associated Press,[3] becoming the first South Carolina player to ever win the award.

As a sophomore, Simpson had 103 total tackles, two fumble returns and an interception.[1] He was consensus All-SEC and named a Football Writers Association All-American.[4]

Professional career[edit]

Buffalo Bills[edit]

Simpson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft with the 105th overall pick.[5] On September 11, 2007, Simpson was placed on injured reserve.[6]

Detroit Lions[edit]

Simpson was traded to the Detroit Lions for a seventh round pick on September 4, 2009.[7] On November 25, Simpson was placed on injured reserve with a torn patella with a separated MCL.[citation needed]

He was released by the Lions on September 4, 2010.[8][9]

NFL statistics[edit]

Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
G GS Comb Total Ast Sack FF FR Yds Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD
2006 BUF 16 15 76 50 26 1.0 1 0 0 2 76 38 76 0 4
2007 BUF 1 1 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008 BUF 16 11 66 51 15 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
2009 DET 8 5 30 26 4 0.0 0 1 0 1 8 8 8 0 4
Career 41 32 173 128 45 1.0 1 1 0 3 81 27 76 0 10

Personal life[edit]

On January 1, 2009, Simpson was arrested by a Rock Hill, South Carolina police officer for hindering police while they were attempting to break up an unruly crowd. According to the police report, Simpson verbally abused officers.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Athletic Department. "Player Bio:Ko Simpson". University of South Carolina. Archived from the original on January 1, 2007. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
  2. ^ Strelow, Paul (November 6, 2004). "Simpson does it all for Gamecocks". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  3. ^ Iacobelli, Pete (December 7, 2004). "Simpson named AP SEC freshman of the year". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
  4. ^ Babb, Kent (May 1, 2006). "Simpson drops to 4th round". The State. Retrieved November 2, 2006.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "2006 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "NFL notebook: Everett moves limbs". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. September 12, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  7. ^ "Bills trade Simpson to Lions". BuffaloBills.com. September 5, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  8. ^ Yuille, Sean (September 4, 2010). "NFL Roster Cuts: Lions Release Ko Simpson". Pride Of Detroit. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  9. ^ Kowalski, Tom (June 5, 2010). "Lions' Ko Simpson showed flashes, but not enough to be dependable". mlive.com. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  10. ^ "Bills' Simpson asks for program to erase charge". San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. February 5, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
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