An iconic photo in Memphis football history: Keith Simpson (42) flips Tennessee's Larry Seivers in the 1976 game with the Volunteers.
Where Are They Now Wednesday: Keith Simpson
Sep 26, 2018 | Football, General
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Former Tigers standout recently retired from FedEx.
By: Phil Stukenborg
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NOTE: The Keith Simpson "Where Are They Now" feature first appeared in the Tigers Football GameDay program Sept. 14 when Memphis hosted Georgia State.
One of the top high school athletes in the nation in the early 1970s, Keith Simpson could have played college football anywhere he wanted.
A multi-sport star at Hamilton High in Memphis, he had offers from traditional powers Oklahoma and Nebraska. Southern Cal and Kansas showed interest. A Parade All-American, he strongly considered joining the Sooners, who were under the direction of a rising young coach named Barry Switzer.
Simpson ultimately chose Memphis State.
"I thought I made a good decision," he said.
And, yes, he still calls it Memphis State, the school's official name during the four years (1974-77) he made an even bigger name for himself.
"I can't seem to get the words University of Memphis out of my mouth," he said with a smile. "It's still MSU to me."
Simpson, 62, lives in Houston with his wife, Rose. He retired from FedEx in Houston in April after 25 years as a ramp agent. He moved to Katy, Texas – a suburb of Houston – in 1986.
After 25 years with FedEx,
Simpson (far left) retired in April.
"When I retired from the Seahawks (in 1985), the decision was 'Do I want to go back to Memphis, or do I want to move somewhere in between?'" Simpson said. "I had a lot of friends in Houston. My agent lived in Houston. My good friend (and Seahawks teammate) Jacob Green (a first-round NFL pick out of Texas A&M in 1980) lived in Houston. So I moved to Houston."
While at then-Memphis State, Simpson emerged as one of the nation's top defensive backs and became a top-10, first-round NFL Draft pick in 1978 when the Seattle Seahawks chose him ninth overall. Simpson played from 1978 to 1985 with Seattle as a cornerback and a safety.
Inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 2012, Simpson is a program rarity. While the school has produced nine first-round draft picks since 1951, only two have been top-10 selections: Simpson and Harry Schuh in 1965. Schuh was picked third by the Oakland Raiders.
With the Tigers, Simpson played in several memorable games. As a junior in 1976, Simpson helped the Tigers to wins over Ole Miss, Florida State and Auburn, but it's a bitter 21-14 loss at home to Tennessee that he vividly recalls.
"That game still gets in my craw," Simpson said. "They had (receivers) Stanley Morgan and Larry Seivers, but we had a great secondary with Eric Harris. We had that game won, but for some reason we got a little conservative in the second half."
The game produced a famous photograph showing Simpson flipping Seivers as the Tennessee receiver leaped to catch an overthrown pass. "That picture hung in the Memphis airport for years," Simpson said. "If you look closely at a (video) clip of the play, I'm known as the first person to moonwalk in a game. After I hit him I started backpedaling. I still have that clip in my phone."
Strange as it sounds, Simpson wasn't going to play football at Hamilton High. He had to be recruited out of the bleachers.
"I didn't begin playing organized football until the ninth grade at Corry Junior High," Simpson said. "In the 10th grade, I was sitting in the stands for the first game because I didn't want to play football. I wanted to play baseball.
"But the second week, I was on the field playing football. An assistant coach talked me into playing football. Next thing I know, I was practicing football. I played defensive back the first six games and they also had me at running back."
A pitcher-infielder in baseball, Simpson attracted interest from the Boston Red Sox, mostly because of a lively fastball. But his football talent eventually directed him to Memphis State and the NFL.
"My nickname in college was 'Crazy Horse,'" he said. "I ended up being roommates with (future NFL running back) Terdell Middleton for two years and I got to know (late, lovable and gruff former Tigers assistant) Murry Armstrong. Uncle Murray is what we called him because he was like a father to us. I enjoyed being at Memphis State."
