Dedication, perseverance push Ohio State's Jeremie Simmons to earn degree

Basketball had always been the priority for Jeremie Simmons. As a youngster on the north side of Chicago, his devotion to the game brought him a nickname – “AO,” for automatic offense – and a purpose that couldn’t be matched elsewhere.

The game protected him from the gangs and the drug dealers who primarily gave ballers a pass as they chased their hardwood dreams. For Simmons, it took him from his hometown to junior college to, eventually, a scholarship and two seasons playing for the Ohio State men’s basketball team.

After four years of college, though, there was one place basketball didn’t take him. Following the 2009-10 season, with his eligibility exhausted, Simmons received a notice from the university that effectively closed the door on his life as a college student.

“They send you an email like, ‘You have been academically dismissed,’ ” Simmons said. “Period. And I deserved that.”

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The old habits of neglecting schoolwork in favor of the sport, ones developed as a youngster, had finally caught up to Simmons. He departed Ohio State without a degree, embarking on a professional career that would take him to Europe and South America.

A dozen years later, he was back. On August 7, Simmons returned to OSU's campus for the first time since that 2010 email, donned his cap and gown and received his bachelor’s degree from the department of sociology in a commencement ceremony held inside Value City Arena. It was a joyous occasion for Simmons and his extended family, one that the Buckeye hopes signals the start of a new chapter in his life.

“I’m getting chills thinking about it,” he said, as he recollected his son and daughter watching him receive his degree. “I’m the coolest, most poker face, laid-back individual, but that moment there was emotional.

“I was raised, don’t cry. But, man, I cried.”

Life after college for Jeremie Simmons

In two seasons at Ohio State, Simmons averaged 5.7 points and shot 40.1% from 3-point range but had his career slowed by Bell’s palsy, a condition marked by partial facial paralysis, midway through his senior year. The Buckeyes shared the Big Ten regular-season title and won the conference tournament in 2010, but his playing time dwindled as the postseason approached. In his final game, Simmons hit three 3-pointers and finished with 9 points in a Sweet Sixteen loss to Tennessee.

His playing career came to an end three years later when Simmons’ grandmother, Myrthie Dunbar, passed away. A lifelong source of inspiration, her praise while helping raise Simmons helped keep him focused on basketball.

“Just making her proud, seeing me do something that was different than what was going on with most guys in my family,” he said. “Not down talking them or anything, but she was so proud of me coming home with a basketball trophy and not being arrested, police calling home and stuff like that. It felt so great to come home and have her be so proud of me for something I did on the basketball court.”

Her absence had a profound effect on Simmons.

“When she passed, I pretty much just hung everything up for a long time,” he said. “I was depressed for a long, long time. When I lost her, I lost myself.”

It led to some low moments, he said, where he would take new jobs only to quit by lunchtime. Simmons was trying to figure out ways to put food on the table for his son, Jasiah, when he received an email about a position he had applied for at the United States Post Office years earlier.

That was seven years ago, and the subsequent job as a mail carrier has been the longest steady employment of Simmons’ life. It was also there that the seeds for his return to Ohio State were planted.

Little white lie leads Simmons back to OSU

Although his ties to Ohio State had seemingly been severed, Simmons remained in contact with at least one former teammate: Danny Peters, a walk-on who is now an assistant coach for Georgia State after similar stints at Arizona and Xavier, among other places.

According to Simmons, Peters floated a false statistic to help provide some motivation.

“He said it was me and this other guy, and how do I feel ... that we’re the only two that didn’t graduate during Thad Matta’s career?” Simmons said. “That’s what lit the fuse right there, and come to find out it’s not just me and that other guy. He admitted that later on. He knows exactly what to say to motivate, and it worked perfectly.”

In order for Simmons to apply for Ohio State’s degree completion program, which assists former athletes with their return to school to finalize their coursework, he said he had to first complete a course at another university. One day at work, Simmons was informed that the USPS provided tuition reimbursement for classes at DeVry University.

If Peters provided the fuse, this provided the light. With the help of academic advisors John Macko and Susan Van Pelt and Ohio State director of basketball operations David Egelhoff, Simmons eased his way back into college while maintaining his full-time job delivering mail and helping raise his son and daughter. Once they went to sleep, it was time to catch up on lectures and assignments from the day.

It was a lot, but two words came to Macko’s mind when reflecting on Simmons.

“His dedication was the biggest thing and perseverance to get this done,” he said. “It was just tremendous on his part. He didn’t miss a beat. It’s unfinished business on his part, and he wanted it really bad.”

Simmons entered the summer three courses shy of graduating. He completed classes in statistics and criminal justice, leaving just one final hurdle: sociology 3487, a class he failed during his first Ohio State tenure. His final assignment was a research paper, and Simmons said he had to pray, trust in God and let his anxiety go while waiting for the grade to come in.

When it did, and he was officially going to graduate, Simmons said the moment was indescribable.

“I fell in love with learning,” Simmons said. “I love reading now. Where I was from, it was frowned upon to go to school and get good grades. You were considered a lame, but now those same people that called me a lame are saying congratulations, I’m doing something the youth need to see.”

An Ohio State homecoming

Not only had Simmons not been back to Ohio State since he left in 2010, but he also hadn’t spoken with Matta since that time. This milestone reunited the two for their first conversation in a dozen years.

“I basically told him how proud of him I was and so happy for he and his family,” Matta said. “Incredible accomplishment, and what an inspiration he is for so many former student-athletes throughout the country.”

As Simmons prepared to return to campus, a former teammate offered some assistance. Evan Turner, a fellow Chicago native and one of Simmons’ teammates, secured an Airbnb for Simmons, his mother, his girlfriend, his children and his extended family to make sure they could all celebrate the occasion together.

“I’m just super excited for my homie, coming back from in the day when I was first watching him play in Chicago,” Turner said. “When he first got the name ‘AO,’ automatic offense, I knew he was special. It’s unique to leave Chicago and go play at The Ohio State and win a Big Ten title together, and to do what we did was amazing.”

Those connections were special ones for Simmons, who saw this as a chance to repay those who had believed in him. Given this shot, he wasn't going to miss.

“I wanted to prove not only to myself but also to The Ohio State that if they gave me a second chance, I wasn’t going to make them look stupid,” he said. “I wasn’t going to make this opportunity look like when I was 19 or 20.”

The goal now is to use his degree to start impacting the next generation. Simmons wants to get into player development and join a coaching staff, using the lessons learned along the way to help younger athletes seize their opportunities and realize the importance of getting their education.

It’s been a long time coming for Simmons, but he’s persevered at each step along the way.

“There’s a lot of times people like him, people forget about them,” Macko said. “We try not to forget about them and try to help connect them. It’s like you’re a Buckeye for life. That’s part of it, and Jeremie’s a Buckeye for life in a lot of different fashions now.”

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jeremie Simmons: From ineligible to graduate Buckeyes guard perseveres