 A former college punter himself, Simmons played an integral role at Carolina in the continued development of Todd Sauerbrun as one of the NFL’s top punters.Carolina ranked fourth in the NFL in 2002 in net punting average (37.5), and the Panthers special units led the league in kickoff coverage with only 18.5 yards allowed per return.Simmons excelled while punting for the University of Kansas (KU) from 1993–95, earning All-Big Eight honors his final year.