Defensive back Johnny Simmons stood up and asked Shug if he could speak, if he could do his part to set the tone of his senior season. And everyone lost it. Grown boys full of fire and testosterone had tears welling up. And it was only the first game. But for crying out loud, the Auburn Tigers — the Auburn Tigers — were underdogs… to Mississippi State. In the soul of Johnny Simmons, this would not stand — it could not stand. He couldn’t do anything about the spread, but he could do something about the results. He by God wasn’t going to bow out on a football team that lost to Mississippi State.
Beating the Mighty Bulldogs in 1972
