Baltimore Ravens logo

Ravens Linebacker Trenton Simpson Credits Ranger Dad’s Sacrifice

by

Timothy Simpson spent 84 months of his more than 26-year Army career deployed overseas across 17 tours — a sacrifice that has shaped what his son Trenton has become this season. The Ravens linebacker, now in his fourth NFL season, credits his father’s Army Ranger service for both his work ethic and his understanding of what family costs when a parent goes to war.

Trenton Simpson has recorded 51 tackles, 1 sack, 5 tackles for loss and 1 interception through the early part of this season, a breakout that BVM Sports attributes less to physical talent — which was never in question — and more to a mental commitment to film study and preparation that mirrors the discipline his father modeled.

Three Ranger Battalions, One Family’s Debt

Timothy Simpson served in the 3rd Ranger Battalion, based at Fort Benning, the unit Baltimore Ravens described as “the company that has been called the most to do the most dangerous stuff,” including the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” incident in Somalia. Walk into that battalion and you see the photos of service members killed in action, Timothy said. Those are the men he learned from.

But before his baby boy was born, Timothy hadn’t really thought about dying. He had been focused on his training, trying to be his best, wondering whether it would pay off in service of his nation. A few months after Trenton was born, Sept. 11 happened, and the call came. In charge of logistics to make sure the Rangers had everything they needed, Timothy pushed Rangers off airplanes, then jumped himself.

War is ugly. About a year into the deployment, after one of his brothers had just fallen in battle, Timothy flew in the back of a helicopter over Afghanistan thinking about his son.

“I just think, ‘I want to live,'” Timothy said. “Now, I really appreciate life.”

Rebuilding the Bond at 5:30 a.m

BVM Sports reported that father and son rebuilt their bond through offseason training and daily dedication, with Timothy beginning workouts with Trenton at 5:30 a.m. at Fort Bragg.

Ravens Linebacker Trenton Simpson Credits Ranger Dad's Sacrifice
Photo: bvmsports.com

Trenton’s first career interception came in Week 4 against Tennessee, with his father in the stands — a detail BVM Sports noted as the kind of payoff that doesn’t show up in tackles alone. Now Timothy attends games regularly after moving into a role that kept him off the battlefield, a transition that has let him watch his son play instead of watching from a deployment.

The numbers tell part of the story: 51 tackles, 1 sack, 5 tackles for loss, 1 interception. But the deeper shift, according to BVM Sports, is that Trenton’s physical talent had not consistently translated into a starting role until this season, when he committed to the mental side of football — intensive film study with teammates and coaches — the same way his father once committed to logistics for the Rangers.

What Comes Next in Baltimore

Timothy is expected to attend Baltimore’s Salute to Service game against Jacksonville, the kind of homecoming that would have been impossible during the years he was pushing Rangers off airplanes.

Eighty-four months abroad preceded mornings at 5:30 a.m. and a Week 4 interception with his father in the stands.

Worth a look

Read next