Prospects Jeffery Simmons, Preston Williams not invited to combine due to violence
Two NFL prospects have been barred from taking part in the NFL Scouting Combine later this month due to legal trouble that involves allegations of getting into a physical altercation with a woman.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons and Colorado State wide receiver Preston Williams have been informed they will not be invited to the Combine due to issues involving violence. Both players were arrested in the past following allegations that they assaulted women.
Simmons was arrested in 2016 after a physical altercation with a woman. Williams was arrested in 2017 for an altercation involving a woman. They are the only two known to be barred under this year, sources say, but invitations have been rescinded in past after background checks.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2019
Williams’ arrest came in 2017, and he ended up receiving a deferred sentence for pleading guilty to a harassment charge. Simmons, who is considered a potential top-10 pick, was arrested in 2016 after a video surfaced that showed him and a woman punching and kicking another woman on the ground. He pleaded no contest to simple assault and disturbing the peace.
Players have been banned from the Combine in the past for drugs, arrests and other issues, so it’s possible Williams and Simmons won’t be the only two.
