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Browns center Elgton Jenkins faces a college friend against Titans
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- Browns center Elgton Jenkins faces a college friend against Titans
BEREA ― The question brought a smile to Cleveland Browns center Elgton Jenkins ' face.
"I want to ask you about a college teammate of yours."
Jenkins didn't even have to ask which former Mississippi State teammate he was going to get asked about. The fact the Browns are getting ready to play the Tennessee Titans was all he needed to know.
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Former teammates Elgton Jenkins, Jeffery Simmons face off in Browns-Titans
That means Jenkins is going to look across the line of scrimmage and look right into the eyes of Titans All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, his former Mississippi State teammate. And, he just might exchange a text or two ahead of time.
"It's all fun," Jenkins told the Beacon Journal Oct. 21. "That's my guy. But when we step out there on Sunday, it's me versus him, and that's how we're going to approach it."
Simmons and Jenkins were together in Starkville for three seasons, from 2016-18. Simmons worked exclusive at defensive tackle at the time, while Jenkins played in 49 career games with 34 starts at center (26), left tackle (five), left guard (two) and right tackle (one).
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Considering their positions, they weren't just on the same team — they often were in the same practice drills, going head-to-head over that span.
"Every day," Jenkins said. "It was a battle. Every day. We made each other better. We always live by iron sharpening iron and just go from there."
From Mississippi State to the 2019 NFL Draft
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) throws past Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.
Jenkins had been in Starkville for a couple of years before Simmons arrived as one of the highest-ranked recruits in his class. Both, though, ended up in the same place — the 2019 NFL Draft, where Simmons was a first-round pick (No. 19 overall) of the Titans and Jenkins was taken by the Green Bay Packers 25 picks later at No. 44 overall in the second round.
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Their paths have not crossed much since they've come into the league. They met three times while Jenkins was in Green Bay, all of them with Jenkins playing his more natural guard position.
Now, as they prepare to meet again, Jenkins goes into the matchup with an acute awareness of the player who's going to be at least partially his responsibility to keep off quarterback Deshaun Watson.
"I think we all know he a very good player, play hard, especially with his size," Jenkins said. "I mean, as far as execution, it just depends on the formation and the fronts that they give you. You just got to go out there and do your job, honestly, man. He a great player. … So really just going out there playing ball and going from there."
Simmons will get moved all over the Tennessee defensive front, anywhere from inside at tackle to outside at end. So Jenkins won't be the only one who'll have to deal with the 6-foot-4, 305-pound game-wrecker.
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Whoever does, however, will have to deal with a player whose four sacks are tied with several others, including Cleveland's Mason Graham, for 10th in the league. He's also tied with Graham, and several others, for fourth in tackles for loss with six.
What are Jeffery Simmons' stats?
Mississippi State's Jeffery Simmons (94), Mississippi State's Gerri Green (4), Mississippi State's Tommy Champion (70) and Mississippi State's Elgton Jenkins (74) loosen up to music before the game. Mississippi State and Florida played in an SEC college football game on Saturday, September 29, 2018, in Starkville. Photo by Keith Warren/Madatory Photo Credit
Simmons has 21 combined pressures over the first six games. That's tied for fifth among all interior defensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus.
"Yeah, I mean, he plays on the D-line, he plays everywhere," rookie right guard Austin Barber told the Beacon Journal. "You just got to be ready for him. I mean, he lines up all over the defense, all over the defensive line. So you've got to be ready."
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Simmons, though, has turned himself into a premier interior pass rusher. During his career at Mississippi State, he finished with just seven sacks, even playing with future NFL standouts like Montez Sweat and Willie Gay Jr. on the defensive front.
The first two seasons Simmons was in the league, he had five combined sacks. A 8.5-sack Pro Bowl season in 2021, though, set him off onto the track he's currently on.
Simmons' 46.5 carer sacks is 10th all-time in Titans (and Houston Oilers) franchise history, and his 41.5 sacks since 2021 are second among all interior linemen to the Kansas City Chiefs' Chris Jones, another ex-Mississippi State standout. Simmons has 65 tackles for loss since 2021, a league-high for interior linemen and five more than Jones.
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"He always been a great run stopper," Jenkins said. "I think coming out of college, he was heavier, slimmed up, kind of knows how defense is going to attack him. Try to put four hands on him if you can. But I feel like as a pass rusher, he definitely got better. Starting to become a 10-sack guy, getting a lot of pressure and just knowing where offense is going to attack."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns center Elgton Jenkins faces a college friend against Titans
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