Isaiah Simmons and The Letter That Predicted It All
“My parents have a letter that I wrote when I was in elementary school saying how my dream was to play in the NFL!,” shared Isaiah Simmons, who plays for the Arizona Cardinals. From a very young age, it was clear that the talented football player knew exactly where he wanted to go. Talk about your true calling! Not only talk, he also proved himself and was drafted eighth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. From playing 3.5 years at Clemson to the big leagues, Isaiah is the embodiment of passion, heart, and dedication.
Never giving up on his dream, just like many, he ran into some obstacles. “After redshirting my freshman year and not playing very much the year after that due to seniors,” opened up Isaiah, “I overcame that and earned a starting spot and the rest was history!” It just goes to show that no matter what life throws your way, if you really want something, you have to work for it! And when that something happens to run smoothly with your life, double the reward.
Our jobs become part of our life, our routine, and who we are becoming. It’s important for it to align with our values and perceptions as we continue to grow within and without. For Isaiah, football coordinates with his everyday life a lot more than people would expect… “Communication is a huge tool that is used in football as well as everyday life,” he shared. More than that, the concept of routine in his football life also pours over into his personal one. As we call it… Balance.
Of course, finding that balance is an on-going process and takes time and patience to get to. Every day is a new learning experience whether it is filled with mistakes or achievements. As long as we see these different scenarios as positives, nothing can stop us. And there are times when we look back and think, huh, I could have done that differently… Well, for our football player, he wishes he “would have paid more attention to how the veteran guys studied the game of football.” Later on he learned how crucial and beneficial learning the game and different study tips were!
A little something we can all apply to our lives. Another thing that is important is to channel all of our passions in life. It may feel at times that we have to choose one path but that is never the case. It is possible and some may even say encouraged, to find different outlets. Our NFL player has also dipped his toe into the world of fashion where he recently received recognition from Blitz Fitz, a news and media platform that showcases football & fashion (@blitzfitz) in receiving “BlitzFits Rookie of the Year”.
This desire to always look good and dress nice started at a young age and was inspired by the people around him. As Isaiah explained, “my father also is very interested in fashion which only drove me more growing up.” Throughout his experience at Clemson, he wanted to dig into finding his own style and once drafted by the NFL, “it was time to turn it up a couple notches” he shared with enthusiasm! You see, in many sports, there is a saying “look good, play good” which had an impact on our young football player who embraces that if you look and feel good, it will translate on the field! Hell yeah!
Fashion and sports, Isaiah’s fire within does not stem from nowhere. Who he has become today, he owes a lot to his brother. “ Everything was a competition between us. He may not have known but I was always watching him and what he did,” shared Isaiah candidly. “He happened to be a great role model that helped me become who I am today! Shoutout to Mario!” It’s always important to take a moment and think of the people in our lives who push us to be better…thankful for those!
Isaiah Simmons is starting off his football career, one that was programmed from him since birth. Bringing together fashion and sports, his heart and soul are truly inspiring to us all. Hoping to leave a great legacy in the NFL, the young player most importantly hopes “to be known as a great father/husband who served the Lord!” Powerful. Goosebumps. Ready to take it to the next level in all areas of his life, career, and passion, there is no doubt we will be seeing a lot more of Isaiah!
“God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.”
TEAM CREDITS
@VULKANmag
Talent ISAIAH SIMMONS @isaiahsimmons
Photographer ADRIAN RIOS @shotbydub
Creative Director & Stylist LONDON WILMOT @ricconoir
On set assistant MYLES BELL @eazy_803
TUNNEL PRODUCTION COMPANY @tunnel_production
Casting JERMAINE MITCHELL @flydhalsim
Interview ALEXANDRA BONNET @alexbonnetwrites
Production @BELLOmediagroup x @maisonpriveepr_la x @ricconoir x @alexbonnetwrites