BRENTWOOD — Brentwood Academy junior Kenneth Simon II spun around a blocker, plowed into the backfield and pulled Ensworth quarterback Taylor Hasselbeck to the ground.
It was Simon’s only sack during the Eagles’ 37-7 win in Week 6 of the TSSAA football season, and it ended Ensworth’s last-gasp effort at victory in the fourth quarter.
Simon had to credit his dad with an assist.
Simon’s dad, Kevin, a former Tennessee football linebacker, was watching the game on a live stream from Knoxville and relayed a message.
“Bryson, my little brother, is the ball boy (at Brentwood Academy). He had his phone on him. My dad texted him to tell me to change up my momentum coming off the edge,” Kenneth Simon said. “So, I did a spin move for the first time, and that was my first sack of the game.”
Simon, 6-foot-2, 198-pound nickel back, played at Bearden last season before moving to Nashville with his mom and brother. His dad remains in Knoxville working as a private trainer, but he’s been helpful from afar.
Kevin Simon, a two-time All-SEC selection at Tennessee and seventh-round NFL draft pick by Washington, lives to analyze football after a decade as an NFL scout. He worked as director of player development at Tennessee, working as a liaison with NFL scouts.
His son has piled up offers that include Tennessee, Alabama, Texas A&M, Notre Dame and Ole Miss since this past summer.
“He always talks about competing,” Simon said of his dad. “That’s something I’ve been told since I was younger. He’s told me I’ve got a legitimate shot of going somewhere big and accomplishing my dream, which is to ultimately go to the NFL. So every day I go to practice and I go 100%.”
Simon, who projects as a nickel or outside linebacker in college, was a difference maker for Brentwood Academy (5-0) in its win against Ensworth (4-2) even when he wasn’t getting his hands on the quarterback.
“He’s a pass-rush phenom, (like) those guys Alabama likes to send off the edge, because he’s so athletic,” Brentwood Academy coach Paul Wade said. “Even when he doesn’t get there, which a couple of times tonight he didn’t, he opens it up for someone else.”
Simon has enjoyed the journey to Brentwood Academy. Not seeing his dad every day has been an adjustment. “But I’ve kind of taken on the man of the house role,” he said.
“He’s always kind of done that,” said Simon’s mom, Heather McCormick. “I can say the doors are locked and he’ll go around and check the doors. Or if I tell his brother to do something and he doesn’t listen, Kenneth comes in and says it in a louder voice, and he does listen. Moving down here, I’m just proud of him. He’s led, he’s looked out for his brother, he worries about me. Sometimes I can’t tell him things. Like if I say I don’t know how to get to the store, he’ll worry about that.”
Kenneth Simon II likes Tennessee football but leaving options open
Just because Simon’s dad was a Vol doesn’t mean he will be too.
“A lot of people think because he was at Tennessee means that’s where I’ll end up. That’s not what it is,” Simon said. “I’m going to go to every school and make sure I make the right decision for me and my family.”
Simon is visiting Ole Miss for its Sept. 27 game against LSU. He considers Tennessee, Ole Miss and Alabama among his top schools.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also helps write The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee football, Alabama target Kenneth Simon II’s dad is former Vol
