Colin Simmons’ Act In Front Of Trump Sparks Steve Sarkisian’s ‘Death Penalty’ Remark | NFL

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian had a memorable response after Colin Simmons was penalised for an inappropriate celebration in front of Donald Trump. Simmons had just sacked Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon when he pretended to use the restroom on the field, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct flag. Sarkisian said the incident needed to be addressed but joked that he was not going to give Simmons the “death penalty” for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Simmons was taken out briefly, spoken to by the coaches and then returned to the game. 

Steve Sarkisian Addresses Colin Simmons’ Celebration

The moment came during Texas’ 20-17 win over Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on September 26. Trump was in attendance as Texas opened its SEC schedule, but Simmons’ celebration quickly became one of the biggest talking points from the game. 

After Simmons’ sack of Brandon, the Texas defender acted as if he was urinating on the field. The referee announced an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for “simulating using the restroom.” The penalty wiped out the defensive stop and gave Tennessee another chance to continue the drive. 

Sarkisian did not ignore the incident. “We took him out, we addressed it and put him back in,” he said. “At that point, I’m not going to give the guy a death penalty over an unsportsmanlike conduct. We got to fix it though. That can’t continue.” 

Colin Simmons Responds After Viral Moment

Simmons had plenty to celebrate after his mistake. The junior recorded five sacks, tying the Texas program record, as the Longhorns finished with 10 sacks against Tennessee. It was a huge defensive performance, even though his celebration became the part that quickly spread online. 

The defender later apologised for the celebration. “I also do want to say I apologize for the celebration,” Simmons said. “I was definitely in that mode feeling myself. But it happens.” His teammate Justin Cryer also said he tried to stop Simmons before the penalty was called. 

Sarkisian also spoke about the wider culture around players wanting attention, saying, “We live in the ‘look at me’ society.” Still, his main message was about keeping the focus on Texas. The Longhorns are now 4-0 after beating Tennessee and will face Oklahoma on October 10 following a bye week.