| Keith Simons | |
| Number: | 72, 70 |
| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Birth Date: | April 26, 1954 |
| Birth Place: | Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Weight Lb: | 254 |
| Height In: | 3 |
| High School: | Belleville (MI) |
| College: | Minnesota |
| Draftyear: | 1976 |
| Draftround: | 3 |
| Draftpick: | 63 |
| Pastteams: | |
| Highlights: |
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| Statlabel1: | Sacks |
| Statvalue1: | 1.5 |
| Pfr: | SimoKe20 |
Keith Michael Simons (April 26, 1954 - July 26, 2017) was an American football player. He was a defensive tackle who played for the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL).[1] He played college football at the University of Minnesota.[1] He was named to the Associated Press All-Big Ten team in 1975.[2]
Simons was selected by the Chiefs with the 63rd pick in the 3rd round of the 1976 NFL draft.[1] He made his presence felt in his very first preseason game, when he blocked a field goal attempt in overtime and teammate Emmitt Thomas recovered the ball and returned it for a game winning touchdown.[3] He was placed on the injured reserve list in October after tearing knee ligaments in a game against the Miami Dolphins.[4] Simons played in 6 games for the Chiefs during the regular season in 1976, starting all 6.[1] In 1977, he played in all 16 games for the Chiefs, again starting 6.[1] The Chiefs traded him to the New Orleans Saints before the 1978 season but the Saints cut him before the season started.[5] [6] He was signed by the Cardinals in September 1978 and played two seasons for the Cardinals as a backup nose tackle, getting into 29 games.[7] [1] The Cardinals released him before the 1980 season.[8] Diagnosed with bladder and lung cancer earlier in the year,[9] he died on July 26, 2017, at the age of 63.[10]