AJ Simon
| Albany Great Danes – No. 8 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 2, 1998[1] Oceanside, New York, U.S. |
| Died: | April 17, 2024 (aged 25) |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 267 lb (121 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Pocono Mountain West (Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania) |
Amitral "AJ" Simon Jr. (December 2, 1998 – April 17, 2024) was an American college football defensive end who played for the Bloomsburg Huskies and Albany Great Danes.
Early life
[edit]Coming out of high school in 2018, Simon decided to commit to play college football for the Bloomsburg Huskies.[2]
College career
[edit]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]
For the 2022 season, Simon transferred to play for the Albany Great Danes.[4] In his first season with the Great Danes, he tallied five sacks.[5] In 2023, Simon totaled 55 tackles and 12.5 sacks.[citation needed] He was named first-team all-CAA and a FCS All-American.[6] After the season, Simon declared for the 2024 NFL draft.[7]
Death
[edit]On April 17, 2024, just a week before the 2024 NFL draft, Simon was pronounced dead at the age of 25 due to sudden cardiac death.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "AJ Simon". Twitter. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ Wells, Adam. "AJ Simon Dies; 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Played DL for University at Albany". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "AJ Simon". Bloomsburg University Athletics. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Madani, Doha (April 18, 2024). "NFL prospect AJ Simon dies one week before the draft". NBC News. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Albany football star AJ Simon Jr. dies week before NFL Draft". The Athletic. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Vasquez, Ingrid. "Albany Football Star AJ Simon Dead at 25, 1 Week Before NFL Draft". People.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Michael. "UAlbany football star Amitral 'A.J.' Simon Jr. dies week before NFL draft". Times Union. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "A year later, UAlbany football player's death impacts program". Times Union. April 4, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.