Recruit decides not to attend UCLA

Published: Monday, August 18, 1997

Monday, August 18, 1997

FOOTBALL:

Simms cites personal problems as reason for withdrawalBy Mark Dittmer

Daily Bruin Staff

Jesse Simms, a UCLA football recruit and grandson of Bruin sports legend Jackie Robinson, has decided not to attend UCLA this fall.

The defensive tackle from Norwalk, Conn., had signed a letter-of-intent to attend UCLA, but on Aug. 4, when all other Bruin freshmen were reporting to camp, Simms was explaining to UCLA head coach Bob Toledo his decision not to enroll in school this fall.

"He's not going to enroll at UCLA, or anywhere else," UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said in a statement. "(He's going to) take the next few months to evaluate his priorities away from the glare of the spotlight.

"He's not sure when and where he will decide to go to school or if he will play football."

Meanwhile, Simms told the Los Angeles Times that he has not met academic standards required by the NCAA to qualify for an athletic scholarship.

"I'm 0.03 of a point from qualifying," Simms told the Times.

Simms' family is appealing to the NCAA Clearinghouse, which makes the decision regarding whether a player qualifies for a scholarship.

He is hoping to substitute some courses taught at home because of his dyslexia, thus raising his GPA above the 2.275 he needs to qualify. Some schools accept nonqualifiers, who are ineligible to play as freshmen, but UCLA has never accepted nonqualifiers or partial qualifiers, according to athletic department spokesman Marc Dellins.

Still, Toledo says he was told by Simms that his decision, "has nothing to do with UCLA, but with the pressure and distractions he has experienced during the last year."

Simms most recently found himself in the national spotlight on April 16 of this year. On that day, in Shea Stadium, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch in the midst of a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of his grandfather's first game in the major leagues.

Now UCLA loses not only its most famous recruit, but also one of its best. Simms lettered for four years at King & Low Haywood Thomas School in Stamford, Conn.

He has been ranked third among defensive linemen in the Big East region by PrepStar, No. 13 among the nation's defensive linemen on SuperPrep's All-American team, and No. 77 among all players in the nation in Cornwell's Top 100. No other UCLA recruit ranked higher on Cornwell's list.