Jacksonville Jaguars college scout Brian Simmons was honored last week in Indianapolis by the Fritz Pollard Alliance as the AFC Scout of the Year.  Simmons received the award at the Fritz Pollard Alliance's annual ceremony at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Simmons is in his seventh season with the Jaguars after being named a regional scout for the club on June 1, 2009.  He currently scouts the Northeast region of the country.  He played 10 years in the NFL after being selected with the 17th overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.  Simmons was with the Bengals for nine seasons (1998-2006) before finishing his career with the New Orleans Saints in 2007. 

"I am honored to receive this award from the Fritz Pollard Alliance" Simmons said.  "I love the game of football and it has done so much for me.  I have been fortunate to work with some great people that helped me along the way.  I can't thank Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley enough for setting up an environment inside our building where it's okay to have a strong opinion and your opinion will be respected."

"The Fritz Pollard Alliance has done so many great things and provided opportunities for so many talented people in the scouting, coaching and front offices of the NFL," Jaguars General Manager David Caldwell said. "It's even more special for them to honor someone I have a lot of respect for in Brian Simmons.  Brian had a productive 10-year career in the NFL and his love of the game pushed him to pursue a career in scouting following his playing days.  We are glad he chose this route.  He has quickly moved up the ranks and that is a credit to his hard work, discipline, knowledge of the game, and his ability to find talent."

Simmons attended the University of North Carolina where he was a four-year letterman and a first-team All-America selection as a senior.  He earned his bachelor's degree in sociology in 1998, the same year he was inducted into the school's Ring of Honor.