84 Days Until FSU Football: Corey Simon’s 84 Tackles Cap All-American 1999 Season

Another Monday marks 84 days until Florida State football takes the field against the Virginia Tech Hokies. As part of the offseason, we’re doing a countdown that highlights players, games, and specific moments from Florida State football history.

On Sunday, it was the 1985 contest against Tulsa that featured multiple broken records.

Today, it’s Corey Simon and his 1999 season where he totaled 84 tackles and received All-American honors.

Simon played defensive tackle for the Seminoles from 1996 to his senior year in 1999, where he became an integral part of Bobby Bowden’s undefeated national championship team. He had gained some recognition from his sophomore and junior outings, where he combined for 102 tackles and 22 tackles for loss. But it was ultimately his senior season that brought national attention.

As part of a fearsome defensive front that also featured Jamal Reynolds and Jerry Johnson, Simon was an unstoppable do-it-all defender. He contributed in both pass rush and run defense, amassing 84 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and four sacks.

His performance against Clemson in Death Valley was arguably his best of the season. He ravaged the Tigers’ offense for 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack. Simon dominated games in ways that few defensive tackles actually can, with a versatility that most tackles don’t have.

Simon earned Consensus All-American honors and finished as a finalist for the Outland and Lombardi trophies. He was selected sixth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and spent eight years in the NFL.

He garnered one Pro Bowl selection and made over 90 starts. He retired due to medical reasons. He was inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame in 2010.