John Charles Simmons (October 8, 1924 â September 17, 1978) was an American professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and Detroit Titans. Simmons spent one year in the AAFC with the Baltimore Colts and eight seasons in the NFL for the Detroit Lions and Chicago Cardinals.