Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons owns up to his actions with apology at training camp

In case you somehow missed it, the first day of padded practices at Tennessee Titans training camp was an eventful one! News of Arden Key's six-game suspension spread , there were multiple fights on the practice field, but most notably Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons quite publicly confronted media member Buck Reising with some choice words after practice.

The good news is that Jeffery Simmons--being the leader that he is--owned up to his actions with an apology at Titans camp Wednesday morning for how he conducted himself at (and after) Tuesday's practice as you can see in the post below.

"That's not who I am. That's not who I want to be seen as. I talked to Buck [Reising]. He has an understanding of where I'm coming from. I have an understanding of where he's coming from. He has a job. I have a job. At the end of the day, I take full accountability for my actions on the field. That will never happen again with me. I always talk about that switch. When to turn it on. When to turn it off. I kind of still had it on coming off the field, of course, with the way practice went. Like I said, that's not me. It will never happen again. And to all you guys, I apologize. And not because it hit social media, but because of who I am. That's not my character."

Jeffery Simmons has really stepped up this off-season perhaps more than any other as a clear leader and example for the Titans to follow. General manager Ran Carthon and many key players have said as much at various points this spring and summer. Tuesday's incident was certainly disappointing in terms of how Simmons handled himself and treated others, but that doesn't change the man he has shown himself to be for several years in the NFL now.

Simmons just wants to get back to football now as he and the rest of the team focus on preparing for the season. He made it clear he's focused on winning, not media critiques:

"I'm ready to focus on football. I just want to win...Told my family, don't send [social media posts] to me no more. None of that...I'm not angry at you [media members]. I've got nothing against you guys. You guys have a job...We know you guys are going to critique us...We have a right to speak our opinion as well...But I'm ready to move on from that. And like I said, yesterday was unacceptable. But [we] came back to practice today and had a great day."

The newly revamped Titans defense--anchored by Simmons--should be a hugely improved unit in 2024. With a healthy T'Vondre Sweat standing next to Simmons up front, one of the most proven secondaries in the league now, and a surprisingly deep linebacker group the Titans defense should dominate. Let's just hope that intensity Simmons brings is enough to push the Titans to greatness in 2024.

Be looking for more Tennessee Titans coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to be reminded of just how dominant Jeffery Simmons can and will be for the Titans this fall, check out some of his highlights in the video below!