NFF National Scholar-Athletes

Perry Simmons

  • School
    Duke
  • Induction
    2013

Described by head coach David Cutcliffe as having “made a tremendous impact on many lives at Duke and beyond,” Perry Simmons has arguably established himself as one of the greatest student-athletes in Blue Devils football history. His commitment to athletics and academics has helped him become the second NFF National Scholar-Athlete in as many years and the fourth overall in school history.

A 2012 CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American and two-time First Team All-District selection, Simmons has amassed an impressive 3.83 GPA in civil engineering, and he took home the 2010 Mike Suglia Award for academics and athletics. He is a three-time Academic All-ACC honoree, a four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member, and he has been inducted into the Chi Epsilon civil engineering honor society.

The model of reliability, Simmons boasts the most consecutive starts among active ACC players at 45 and counting. During his junior campaign, the 2012 Honorable Mention All-ACC pick paved the way for a Blue Devils offense that scored a school-record 50 touchdowns while earning Duke to its first bowl berth since 1994. As a senior, Simmons has blocked for an offense that averages 420.4 total yards per game, and he has helped Duke win at least six games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1988 and 1989. Simmons was named an Honorable Mention Freshman All-American in 2010.

Simmons has participated in a mission trip to Langano, Ethiopia, assisting with a water well-digging project to provide local communities with safe, sanitary water. He has logged 75 hours of service with Habitat for Humanity in 2013 alone, helping with the construction of three houses. The Raleigh, N.C., native has participated in events for the Durham Rescue Mission and Ronald McDonald House, and he helped organize an on-campus blood drive.

Simmons completed a construction internship with the Gilbane Building Company in the summer of 2015 and will begin pursuing his master's in sustainable design and construction at Stanford University in the fall of 2015.