MARTIN, Tenn. — Ty Simpson got the University of Tennessee at Martin into some NCAA trouble when he was a ninth grader.
At least that’s how the UT Martin compliance coordinator at the time saw it. Simpson, as a high school freshman, had been in line with the quarterbacks for practice at the Division I, FCS school. He was practicing and throwing with them. Then someone in compliance flagged it and Jason Simpson, Ty’s dad and the coach of the Skyhawks, caught heat for it.
Ty’s explanation?
I didn’t think practice had started.
Compliance made clear Ty couldn’t be out there. He was a recruitable athlete. As a result, UT Martin was docked one hour of the 20 allotted hours of practice time that week.
So, Ty had to watch like a dog in the window.
“It was pitiful,” said Julie Simpson, his mom. “I would just look at him and go, ‘you can’t go out there.’ … Which was very frustrating to him. He was not happy.”
That was like limiting Ty in his own house. The 7,500-seat stadium and the connected football building have been home to him since he was 3. Jason was hired at UTM in late 2005.
In the small town of Martin, Tennessee, with a population of about 11,000, the rectangle building became Ty’s classroom. His dad became his teacher.
A recent three-day visit to the city in northwest Tennessee revealed the Martin upbringing that built Ty. That includes the people who raised him, a small town that supported him and a college football program that taught him the game he thrives in today.
“We talk about Martin Made,” Jason said. “What I’ve tried to do is create a mindset of toughness … I think that mindset for Ty has helped him.”
Jason Simpson (left) with his son Ty Simpson (right) at a UT Martin game. Contributed image
Masterclass in college football
Jason walked out the front door of the football facility at about 4 p.m. to go to practice. Players were warming up on the overcast, brisk Tuesday. As Jason sauntered, he told the story of Ty making the short drive to the facility himself at 14.
Small town things.
Ty often arrived around 5:30 a.m. That gave him the chance to use a college weight room as a high schooler. Ty usually brought the keys to unlock it for other players, per former UT Martin quarterback Dresser Winn.
Ty would call Winn to tell him he was going to work out if the quarterback wanted to join him, to which Winn would ask him …
Do you need a ride?
No man, I’ll meet you up there.
What? … Alright, see you there.
Ty then drove in a red F-150 truck and worked out alongside college players. He got to know them well, specifically the quarterbacks.
Winn remembered one offseason workout when Ty was in eighth grade.
Graham, Emma and Ty Simpson stand on the field at a Kentucky vs. UT Martin game on Aug. 30, 2014 in Lexington, Ky. Contributed image
The quarterbacks were pushing sleds, which each carried four 45-pound weights. Each quarterback shoved the sled for about 20 yards, about seven or eight times. Toward the end, it was Ty’s turn again.
But Ty had disappeared.
Then Winn saw the middle schooler at the trash can. Ty was puking.
The drill needed to keep moving, though. So a coach told Winn he had to fill in for Ty.
“And I was pissed,” Winn said.
Dresser, push it.
“I was about to be throwing up with him,” Winn said.
In addition to workouts, Ty often attended quarterback meetings growing up when his schedule allowed. Early on, Jason would kick Ty out of those meetings if he looked at his phone.
“When it got to where he wasn’t distracted by his phone and stuff and the quarterback meeting meant something to him, he could stay the whole time,” Jason said.
Ty Simpson (left) stands embraces his dad Jason Simpson (right) at a UT Martin football game. Contributed image
Ty started getting his games taped with a video camera in youth league football. When he couldn’t attend, Jason wanted to see the footage from Ty’s games. Jason would give Ty feedback like …
You did good here, bud.
In middle school, film study turned into watching tape at the UT Martin offices, Julie said. The conference room attached to Jason’s office with a rectangular table and a whiteboard became the classroom for Ty.
Ty often pestered asking if the tape was up yet. Eventually, Ty got someone on the UT Martin staff to demonstrate how to work the tape so he could watch even when Jason wasn’t available.
“We spent no telling how many hours of film or watching film in that meeting room together with Coach Simpson sitting at the head of the table, and me and Ty on either side of it, getting into arguments, talking about some of his plays and my plays,” Winn said. “That’s always been special to me.”
A view of Hardy M. Graham Stadium and the Bob Carroll Football Building on Oct. 28, 2025 in Martin, Tenn. Nick Kelly | nkelly@al.com
Ty attended many quarterback meetings in summers, but he even found ways to make some after his practices at nearby Westview High School.
“There’s a reason that he’s able to see defenses the way he is now,” Winn said, “because he sat in so many of those meetings and asked questions when he needed to.”
When he was about 13, Ty made Julie take him to Walmart to buy a grease board for him. On the board, Jason came up with a defense. Then, Ty had to draw an offense in response.
By 2018, Ty received his first college offer during the spring of his eighth grade year from Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. By the fall, Ty had about 10 offers from major college football programs. Teams were noticing the ninth-grader who was capable of throwing with the UT Martin quarterbacks.
“One of my guys could run a post and he could throw and catch with them,” Jason said. “And my good players would want to go with him.”
By the summer before Ty’s sophomore year, he secured an offer from Alabama, the program that one day gave him his toughest test yet.
Ty’s time in the fire
Once Jason finished his speech shortly after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the time arrived for prayer.
Eyes closed, head bowed, Jason led his players, circled up in the middle of the football field at the close of practice.
Give us the wisdom and strength to know what’s Your will and follow You.
UT Martin players kneel around coach Jason Simpson as he leads them in a prayer after practice on Oct. 28, 2025 in Martin, Tenn. Nick Kelly | nkelly@al.com
Ty would have witnessed these prayers when he attended practices. From the beginning, he watched his mom and dad model their Christian faith.
So did Mike Sams, who became the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Martin in 2008. Upon his arrival, Sams noticed Jason and Julie involved in college ministry. And every Sunday when he preaches, Sams can often look to his right and see the Simpsons seated about six rows back in the pews.
“Church has always been important to this family,” Sams said.
Faith was, and is, for Ty at Alabama.
Heading into his sophomore year, Ty had a chance to win the starting quarterback job. But he couldn’t take advantage. Four weeks into the 2023 season, Nick Saban named Jalen Milroe the permanent starter. That continued in 2024 under Kalen DeBoer.
“Anytime I was talking to (Ty),” Winn said, “he would always be telling me, ‘I think I could help this team.’ And I’d be like, ‘Ty that’s just not what they want right now. When you do get your chance, you’ll be fully ready and capable of doing what you think you can.’”
A view from outside First Baptist Church, where Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson attended growing up, on Oct. 29, 2025 in Martin, Tenn. Nick Kelly | nkelly@al.com
Jason and Julie reminded Ty of a moment in high school when he was watching his brother Graham’s game. Ty’s college decision was coming up, and that day, he shared with his parents that God told him he needed to go to Alabama.
So his parents wanted to know, years later, what changed?
Jason made clear he was working in the background, that if Ty said God told him he needed to leave, Jason wouldn’t tell his son no. But if Ty felt God’s will was for him to be at Alabama, sitting wasn’t a reason to leave.
Ty had plenty of chances to depart, especially after Saban retired. Julie was in Tuscaloosa that day, when opportunities immediately emerged.
No, I need to stay. I need to stick this out. This is where I wanted to be.
But that decision was tested. Julie remembers moments when Ty broke down.
I know God wanted me here. I know this is where I’m supposed to be. So why is it not working out like it’s supposed to be? Or like I wanted it to?
From left to right: Jason Simpson, Emma Simpson, Ty Simpson, Julie Simpson and Graham Simpson stand together in Tuscaloosa out the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility. Contributed image
At First Baptist in Martin, one of the topics Ty’s pastor talks about is the testing of faith.
“How God uses time in the fire to refine us,” Sams said. “And it’s not pleasant. And there’s nothing in scripture that says going through difficult times or hardship is comfortable. In fact, that makes us very uncomfortable. But it exposes the things in us that are flawed so that those things can be removed, so that what’s left in the end is something that is far more durable and sturdy than what we had before.”
At one point while waiting his turn to be the starting quarterback, Ty cried after a spring scrimmage. In that moment, it didn’t feel fun to him anymore, he shared earlier this season.
Then Jason asked him a question.
How’s your faith?
“I had to sit back, and I was like ‘man you’re right,’” Ty said. “I’m more worried about how people perceive me in football than they do how I walk in my faith or how I am as a person.”
Ty decided to pray and give everything to God instead of worrying and being anxious, remembering he was in Tuscaloosa for a reason.
Ty, Jason said, knew one good year at Alabama could get him to his dreams. He just needed one good year.
“It just wasn’t in God’s plan for him to be playing,” Winn said, “but he also knew that it was in God’s plan for him to be at the University of Alabama, playing with all those guys he’s been friends with and the coaches that he trusted and that he loved being around. So I think, yeah, it was a huge part of his faith and a really cool testament to him sticking around. And he’s got a good story to tell now.”
Jason Simpson, Graham Simpson, Julie Simpson and Ty Simpson stand together at a UT Martin game. Contributed image
Bringing Martin to Tuscaloosa
Blake Stoker emerged from the kitchen with enough meat and sides to feed a family.
The namesake of Blake’s at Southern Milling filled two trays worth of BBQ on Wednesday. He brought Ty’s typical order and then some.
Ribs. Brisket. Wings. Baked beans. Pimento cheese and more. Much more.
Ty might be a long way from Martin, but the Alabama quarterback still gets a taste of home after many games.
Here’s an example of a recent order that Julie brought to Ty in Tuscaloosa:
Three racks of ribs (sliced very nicely)Four pounds of brisket (two pounds lean, two pounds fatty)Four pounds of turkey breast50 wings (25 naked, 25 dry rub)Three pints of baked beansFour pints of mac and cheeseThree pints of green beans15 pieces of cornbreadTwo smoked cottage cheese appetizersOne pint of pimento cheese and 40 crackersOne pint of mild sauceOne pint of hot sauce½ pint of Alabama white sauce½ pint of Kum-Back sauce
Two trays of food from Blake’s at Southern Milling restaurant in Martin, Tenn. Nick Kelly | nkelly@al.com
For the record, he shares it with others. Blake’s has been part of many gamedays since Ty was in high school.
“That is a super, super, super honor,” Stoker said. “About the coolest thing ever.”
It’s one thing to remember where you came from. It’s another thing to have a hometown feast brought to you from almost 300 miles away.
Martin still has his attention, too. After Ty secured his first win as the starting quarterback against Louisiana-Monroe in September, he refused to start his press conference until he got a question answered.
What’s the score of the UT Martin game?
He did the same after Georgia.
“Hold on, who knows the UT Martin score?” Ty said. “I’m not going to answer until we know.”
At that moment, Ty also held a stat book. He brought a game stat book with him to Wisconsin postgame interviews, too.
“I started dying laughing,” Winn said.
Jason brings the stat book after every game. Ty did it again after the Missouri game. He looked down at the stats for about 30 seconds before he started talking to reporters. He highlighted all the areas he thought Alabama could have done better.
Ty Simpson (left) talks with his dad Jason Simpson (right) after Alabama beat South Carolina on Oct. 25 in Columbia, South Carolina. Contributed image
“Yes there was a lot of Coach Saban type comments in there, but I just laughed ‘cause I’m like, guys he’s been listening to his dad do this for 20 years,” Julie said.
Ty’s pregame locker room speech went viral before Alabama beat Georgia, filled with ‘alrights’ that reminded some of Saban. But if you listen to Jason address his team, like he did Tuesday after practice, it included several ‘alrights’ too.
“He sounds just like his dad,” Julie said.
“….it was in God’s plan for him to be at the University of Alabama, playing with all those guys he’s been friends with and the coaches that he trusted and that he loved being around
Dresser Winn, former UT Martin QB
Jason is not only the coach of the program that taught Ty football, but Jason was also the dad on the phone many nights counseling a son who was waiting for the chance to fulfill a dream.
Todd Hampton, a family friend who helps Ty manage his money, still remembers the lump that arose in his throat during their first NIL talk. Ty’s first question wasn’t about making a big purchase for himself—it was about someone in Martin.
Do you think I can buy my dad a truck?
Jason Simpson embraces his son Ty Simpson before the Tennessee game on Oct. 18, 2025 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Contributed image
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