Mississippi State defensive end and five-star signee Jeffery Simmons was found guilty of malicious mischief and pleaded no contest to simple assault charge stemming from a March 24 fight, as you can see in the video above, per Clarion Ledger. Simmons had a disturbing the peace charge dismissed.
Simmons is forced to pay $711 in medical bills, $175 for alleged damage to the woman's car and $475 in fines for the charges.
The 30-year-old woman was found guilty of disturbing the peace and was fined $225, according to the report.
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After the reported fight occurred in March, MSU took months before announcing Simmons would be allowed to join the team after undergoing counseling and receiving a one-game suspension (against South Alabama, September 3), per a press release.
"Based on conversations our staff has had with school, community and church leaders in Noxubee County, this incident appears to be uncharacteristic of Jeffery," MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin said. "It's a highly unique circumstance to administer discipline to a student for an incident that occurred prior to that individual joining our university. However, it's important that Jeffery and other potential MSU students understand that these type of actions and poor decisions are not acceptable.
"We expect the structure and discipline Jeffery will be a part of in our football program to benefit him. Jeffery will be held accountable for his actions while at MSU, and there will be consequences for any future incidents."
Simmons has apologized, via Facebook page, per WCBI in Mississippi, after the incident:
"Decisions, choices, and actions should always be carefully thought through when incidents occur. I take full responsibility for my actions that occurred on Thursday evening. My apology goes out to the Taylor family and especially Sophia Taylor. What was I thinking? Honestly, I wasn't thinking, all I could think was this was my family and I'm supposed to defend my family. Many know my deceased nephews were my pride and joy, I do everything I do in honor of the life they never got to live, and to listen to someone speak so terribly about them really caused me to make choices, decisions, and act in a manor that was out of character for me."
Mississippi State described the signee as breaking up "a domestic fight."
