SPORTS

Simmons brothers honored in Greater Lansing HoF

DENNY SCHWARZE
FOR THE LANSING STATE JOURNAL

Nick and Andy Simmons spoke with and greeted inductees, both past and present, before making the walk into the main ballroom for dinner at the Lansing Center on Thursday for the 40th Greater Lansing Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

But getting to walk in as brothers was the part that was most special.

Even at just 31 years old, Andy Simmons was inducted as part of the 2015 class, which featured nine individuals and three teams.

"To get inducted with the caliber of athletes you have in this class and the past classes they've had with the high level of athlete that they've had the past 40 years, it's really special," Andy Simmons said. "We're getting to share this with our close family and friends where we grew up."

"And there's a lot (here)," Nick Simmons said with a smile when estimating the relatives in attendance.

Andy Simmons was 219-0 during his high school career at Williamston and is one of 21 wrestlers in state history to win four MHSAA individual state titles. He was also a three-time All-American at Michigan State.

Nick Simmons wrestled at four NCAA championships and is second on the all-time MSU list for career wins. He was a four-time All-American and a three-time conference champion in the Big Ten and now is an associate head coach at Indiana University.

The brothers got to enjoy the induction with a former coach and mentor who helped lead them there.

"A guy who spent a lot of time training with us day in and day out since we were in middle school all the way up through college and international - Jeff Therrian. He's had a very large influence not only on where we went to school but our training in general and I can't say enough about what he's taught me with life lessons and not only wrestling things but life in general," Andy Simmons said.

A half-hour formal welcoming began the night. Then the inductees and guests moved down a hallway adorned with uniforms and exhibits of past inductees as they made their way toward the ballroom. Greeting them there was Bob Every, chairman of the Greater Lansing Hall of Fame and a 1994 inductee.

The space available at the Lansing Center once again provided the perfect backdrop for the event, according to Every.

"The Hall of Fame was on a downward trend and was losing interest fast," Every said. "Lansing Community College did what they could but they weren't in that kind of business. We needed a convention center that embraced us and they've done that. It's really made it one of the biggest indoor events in Lansing every year."

Every indicated that ticket sales for the event were extremely high, rivaling the 2012 induction when the 1977 Everett boys basketball state champion team featuring Earvin "Magic" Johnson was honored.

"It's gotten so big," Every said. "All of the emotion that is in this room is always unbelievable. People who have had their heyday so long ago and probably thought they've been forgotten and what they've done had been forgotten now have the opportunity to live that memory one more time with people here to support them. It's a tremendous emotional experience for us."