The start of the Texas-Tennessee game has been defined by mistakes. Some involving turnovers, but the SEC rivalry matchup took an ugly turn in the second quarter thanks to a vulgar gesture from one Texas star.
Texas pass rusher Colin Simmons sacked Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon as the Longhorns appeared to force the Vols to punt following the third-down stop. The only problem is Simmons was given a personal foul for a vulgar gesture which kept the Tennessee drive alive.
After the sack, Simmons stood over Brandon and pretended to urinate on the field. Simmons is one of the faces of the Texas program with a confirmed NIL deal of $2.5 million, per On3.
During the broadcast, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit labeled the celebration as an “idiotic” decision by Simmons. The Texas pass rusher pretended to unzip his pants and urinate on the field following the sack.
Here’s a look at Simmons’ celebration which sparked a 15-yard celebration and automatic first down for Tennessee.
Texas Star Colin Simmons Could Face Further Punishment for Gesture
During the offseason, Simmons spoke about his growth as a leader on the team. We are guessing that Simmons would like to take back his celebration.
It remains to be seen if Simmons will faces further punishment from Texas or the SEC.
“Just being myself, being myself, showing my teammates that they can just be themselves,” Simmons said at SEC Media Days back in July, per Yahoo Sports.
“They don’t have to change. They don’t have to impress nobody. People are going to have opinions regardless of what it is, good or bad,” Simmons added.
“But at the end of the day, as long as you stay true to yourself, can’t nothing move you.”
The only positive for Simmons is that the lapse in judgment did not result in Tennessee scoring, but it prevented Texas from potentially starting their next drive with great field position.
Texas Pass Rusher Colin Simmons Faces Backlash for ‘Idiotic’ Gesture vs. Tennessee
Simmons is receiving backlash for the gesture on social media. Additionally, Herbstreit and Chris Fowler criticized Simmons for the celebration during the ESPN broadcast.
“Just an absolute idiotic move by Colin Simmons doing that,” Herbstreit said of Simmons’ penalty. “Was supposed to be one of the leaders of this defense.
“And they got ’em in a fourth-and-29 (after the sack). Gonna get great field position (before the penalty).”
Simmons is widely projected to be a potential top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL draft. The star has an average No. 4 ranking among all prospects, per NFL Mock Draft Database.
Texas $2.5 Million Star Punished for Peeing Gesture on Tennessee QB Faizon Brandon