PODCAST
Meet the one and only former college football All American and successful entrepreneur, Marvin Simmons. From fighting for food and a seat at the dinner table amongst 11 siblings, at age 14 Marvin became the first freshman in the history of Dominguez High School to start on the varsity football team. Simmons made All State 1st Team honors as a freshman and quickly rose to stardom and popularity across the Division 1 CIF Southern Section. Dominguez High is where Simmons would began his fight for a spot on some of America’s most prestigious collegiate football teams, Marvin Simmons has endured countless struggles, but has overcome every single one. Simmons’ escape from Compton’s high crime rate was established through his love for football.
Straight outta Compton Dominguez, Marvin would receive All American Honors as a Junior and gain national recognition but later transfer to Long Beach Poly High where he would play and finish his senior year. As a 16 year old junior he was offered a full ride scholarship to top 5 ranked UCLA, in-which he committed. Simmons would lead the Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits to a 14-0 season, win the Division 1 CIF Southern Section Football Championship, and USA Today #1 ranked high school football team in the country. Marvin’s senior play would earned him Five Stars and the most prestigious Parade All American honors, the highest national award given to football athletes. Simmons would later decommit UCLA and decided to take his talents to Pete Carroll’s USC Trojans where he signed a full-ride athletic scholarship following his senior year. He was given the legendary number 55 to carry the USC Linebacker traditions of NFL stars Junior Seau, Willie McGinest, and Chris Claiborne.
After training his whole life for an opportunity to relive his past struggles and break the cycle of the African American experience, Marvin bounced back to Compton College and obtained his Associate of the Arts degree within one year and shortly after was offered a full-ride scholarship to Kansas State University where he finished and became one of the top elite linebackers in college football, and was projected to go top three rounds in the 2005 NFL Draft after his junior season.
Never allow your circumstances to define who you are. One mistake can cost you everything. Be smart. Your life is worth too much to just throw it all away. Remember… it’s not until we go thru the storm that we understand the value of what we went thru and why it was necessary!!
– MARVIN SIMMONS
One Mistake Can Cost You
Simmons decided to stay and play his senior season at Kansas State University. But unfortunately, due to injury he was unable to do so. Simmons would have to sit out his senior season and enter the NFL draft the following year after not playing. Simmons would go free-agent to the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots where he would never play as a result of his injuries sustained during his high school and college athletic career.
Simmons grit in sports and education carried over into the corporate and business world as he worked his way up in the supply chain management and transportation industry for the Walgreens Company. Over the 7 year time span from working as a warehouse supervisor, Simmon’s was promoted to a district manager position within 2 years, and was later granted an executive position as the company’s regional manager before leaving to start his own business.
His position as the Vice President of Business Development with TheSourceLA has helped Rocsii Frank expand the mission’s horizons and has encompassed true partnership. As a life coach, consultant, and community leader Simmons’ is driven to challenge his full-potential by serving the greater Los Angeles Community.
