Jason Simmons

Jason Lawrence Simmons (born March 30, 1976 in Inglewood, California) is an American football strong safety who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.

College career
He was a 4-year letterman for Arizona State University, earning second-team All-Pacific-10 honors as a senior.

Charity work
In 2007, the Texans signed Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green to a four-year contract. Green had worn the uniform number 30 throughout his career, but on the Texans, that number had been assigned to Simmons since 2002. Green offered to purchase the right to use the number from Simmons, but Simmons instead devised a plan where he would give Green the number in exchange for his help in purchasing a home for a needy family. Green contributed $25,000 to the cause, Simmons added $5,000 of his own, and Texans owner Bob McNair chipped in a further $25,000. After soliciting applications, the players selected Regina Foster, a 37-year-old single mother whose seven-year-old son Reggie was afflicted with autism. With their help, Foster purchased a $100,000 home near Reggie's school, and area businesses made additional contributions, such as groceries, furniture, electricity, and phone and internet service.