Jackie Simpson (defensive back)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
 Simpson, c. 1956 | |||||||
| No. 41, 47, 31, 21, 25, 45 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive back | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | April 2, 1934 Miami, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | December 20, 2017 (aged 83)[1] Pensacola, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 183 lb (83 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Miami (FL) Edison | ||||||
| College | Florida | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1957: 4th round, 44th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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John Marlin Simpson (April 2, 1934 - December 20, 2017[2]) was an American college and professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Simpson played college football for the University of Florida, and then played professionally for the Baltimore Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.
Simpson was born in Miami, Florida in 1934,[3] and grew up in an apartment complex on the Miami bayfront.[4] He attended Miami Edison Senior High School in Miami,[5] and he was a standout high school football halfback for the Edison Raiders.[4]
College career
Simpson accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played both halfback and defensive back for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football team from 1953 to 1956.[6] Simpson was a third-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 1954 and 1955, and a second-team All-SEC selection in 1956.[6] Memorably, he had two touchdowns including a 100-yard interception return in a 20–14 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 1955,[7] which remains the longest interception return for a touchdown in SEC history.[6] Several weeks later, he had a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Gators' 18–14 win against the LSU Tigers, again providing the margin of victory.[8] As a halfback on offense, he finished his college career with an average of 6.3 rushing yards per carry—still one of the three best career averages in Gators history.[6] Woodruff ranked him as the Gators' best defensive back and one of their three best running backs of the 1950s.[9]
Simpson was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2001.[10][11]
