Simmons' new start after career-ending eye injury

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Nevertheless, the adaptable player acknowledges that it can be challenging to understand—despite the irreparable damage to his right eye—how his professional journey reached an unexpected conclusion at the young age of 27.

In December, following medical advice, he chose to retire due to an injury that he had sustained 11 months prior during a European Champions Cup defeat against Leinster.

He underwent urgent surgery to preserve the vision in the affected eye, but the lingering effects along with the potential for further serious harm occurring while playing or training prompted him to retire and transition into a coaching position with the Tigers.

"I was fortunate to have supportive individuals in my life, including friends and family, to assist me in making those tough choices because I did not want to face them alone," he shared with BBC Radio Leicester.

"It was a challenging time, and I often tell people that I almost wish I had been in physical pain. If it had been a shoulder or knee injury, I could have identified something felt wrong, but with your eyes, which you rely on constantly, it simply becomes your new reality.

"My current vision seems normal to me; honestly, I can’t recall what it was like before."

What Simmons can remember, however, is the incident that ultimately led to the end of his career.

He was tracking a pass from Leinster that flew over him, and as he prepared to defend against his opponent, a fend-off from James Lowe went very wrong for the stricken Tiger, who termed the event "a freak accident."

"His finger went into my eye and caused significant damage," Simmons remembers.

"At first, everything in my right eye went completely black. I had no idea if my eye was shut or open.

"There was blood streaming from my eye, which is never a good sign."

He was quickly taken to the hospital, but it took two weeks before he had surgery, as the initial swelling concealed the extent of the injury.

"I attempted to train during that period, which wasn't the wisest decision, but we were unaware of the severity at the time," he recounted.

"Then, when I had an appointment in February, they told me, 'You need to have emergency surgery right now.' That was quite alarming because it shifted from thinking it wasn't too serious to realizing it was very grave."

Simmons explained that the operation to reattach his retina was considered a success, although the damage to his pupil could not be repaired.

A long period of inactivity ensued to allow his eye to heal.

It was only when he returned to the field for training that "different symptoms" began to emerge, prompting him to assess the implications of resuming his career on his vision.

"According to Simmons, the surgery resulted in my eye's new configuration and the damage to the muscles behind my eyes, which caused them to be slightly misaligned. "They were only misaligned when I looked upwards and to the side; my regular vision was perfectly fine, so I hadn’t really perceived it during the downtime.

"When I was abruptly thrown back into training, everything felt chaotic, and I started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. My double vision became quite severe.

"Additionally, the ruptured pupil allowed significantly more light into that eye, making it increasingly challenging to catch high balls, whether under floodlights or sunlight."

Simmons mentioned that, with the help of the coaching staff at Leicester, he went all out in trying to modify his game to adjust to the new circumstances.

At the same time, he was trying to make a comeback in spite of "the anxiety and the possibility of re-injury."

"In my mind, I have always wanted to play again," he stated.

"Once you've experienced a detached retina, your chances of it happening again increase significantly. For me, experiencing it again would mean losing all vision in that eye, which at 26 years old wouldn't have been ideal.

"Following the surgery, I essentially felt like I became a worse rugby player, which was more frustrating than the actual risks involved."

However, the conclusion of his playing career did not signify the end of his association with Tigers.

He accepted a position as an academy and skills coach with the club, working with teams and players ranging from Under-15s to the Premiership Women.

Simmons also found himself engaged with the first-team during the Premiership Rugby Cup, a competition that marked his debut with the Tigers in 2017.

Simmons expressed that he is "absolutely enjoying" the role, which often has him working at the Tigers’ training facility at Oval Park.

"I'm just starting to find my footing and figuring out who I want to coach and my coaching style," he shared.

"Transitioning has been tough. However, being around the environment, frequently in and out of the changing rooms, and enjoying some laughs makes the adjustment much smoother.

"Sometimes, I forget that I'm not training; it feels like I'm still part of the team."