Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
Ron Simpkins led the Michigan defense to three straight editions of The Granddaddy of Them All from 1977 to 1979. The Wolverines came up just short in all three games despite stellar performances from Simpkins. The linebacker tallied a then-Rose Bowl Game record 16 tackles in the loss to Washington in 1978, including 13 solo stops. He followed up that performance with 12 tackles in the 1979 Rose Bowl Game against USC. The 1979 consensus All-American was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1981 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons in the NFL and later worked at Wayne State University, where he oversaw the implementation of grant-based initiatives centered around encouraging Detroit youth to participate in sports to aid in the development of leadership skills.
