Amitral "AJ" Simon Jr. (December 2, 1998 – April 17, 2024)[1] was an American football defensive end for the Albany Great Danes. He previously played for the Bloomsburg Huskies.

AJ Simon
Albany Great Danes – No. 8
PositionDefensive end
ClassSenior
Personal information
Born:(1998-12-02)December 2, 1998[1]
Died:April 17, 2024(2024-04-17) (aged 25)
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight267 lb (121 kg)
Career history
College
High schoolPocono Mountain West (Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania)

Early life and high school

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Coming out of high school in 2018, Simon decided to commit to play college football for the Bloomsburg Huskies.[2]

College career

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Bloomsburg

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During Simon's career at Bloomsburg, he notched 80 tackles with 20 being for a loss, 11.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and three forced fumbles.[3]

Albany

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For the 2022 season, Simon decided to transfer to play for the Albany Great Danes.[4][5] During Simon's first season with the Great Danes, Simon tallied five sacks.[6] In Simon's last collegiate season in 2023, Simon totaled 55 tackles and 12.5 sacks.[citation needed] For his performance on the 2023 season, Simon was named first team all CAA, and a FCS All American.[7] After the conclusion of the 2023 season, Simon decided to declare for the 2024 NFL draft.[8][9]

Death

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On April 17, 2024, just a week before the 2024 NFL draft, Simon was pronounced dead at the age of 25 with the cause of death unknown.[10][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "AJ Simon". Twitter. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  2. ^ Wells, Adam. "AJ Simon Dies; 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Played DL for University at Albany". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  3. ^ "AJ Simon". Bloomsburg University Athletics. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  4. ^ Madani, Doha (April 18, 2024). "NFL prospect AJ Simon dies one week before the draft". NBC News. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Parks, James (April 17, 2024). "Ex-college football player, NFL Draft hopeful AJ Simon dies at 25". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  6. ^ "Albany football star AJ Simon Jr. dies week before NFL Draft". The Athletic. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  7. ^ Vasquez, Ingrid. "Albany Football Star AJ Simon Dead at 25, 1 Week Before NFL Draft". People.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Kelly, Michael. "UAlbany football star Amitral 'A.J.' Simon Jr. dies week before NFL draft". Times Union. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Wang, Jackson (April 17, 2024). "AJ Simon, vaunted UAlbany pass rusher, dead at 25". Spectrum News. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  10. ^ "Albany NFL draft hopeful AJ Simon dies at age 25". ESPN. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  11. ^ Neumann, Sean; Dye, Natasha. "Former Coaches, Teammates Honor NFL Prospect AJ Simon After Sudden Death: 'A Tremendous Player'". Peoples.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
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