In his pre-game talk, Holmgren told the Packers there was only one way to knock off the Super Bowl champions on their home turf: Kick the crap out of them.
Holmgren’s talk hit home with Wayne Simmons. Of all the Packers in the locker room that day, including fierce competitors like Reggie White, LeRoy Butler, and Brett Favre, no one liked the idea of kicking the crap out of the 49ers better than Simmons.
At 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, Simmons was far from the biggest player on the team, but he may have been the meanest on the field. He intimidated opponents with his brute strength, inspired teammates with his pointed criticism and comments, and played without fear.
It’s no wonder Simmons got along well with defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, who once said, “If you don’t like to fight, you shouldn’t be in this business.”
Simmons liked to fight. “He brought that toughness and nastiness to the Green Bay Packers,” said George Koonce, who started at linebacker next to Simmons in 1996. “Wayne would take a fight in the bar and take it right into the street. He brought that fight to the defense. He was a hell of a player.”
Buoyed by Holmgren’s speech, Simmons made a difference that day in San Francisco. On the 49ers’ first offensive play of the game, Steve Young threw a screen pass to fullback Adam Walker, but Simmons saw it coming.
He drilled Walker with a vicious hit, jarring the ball loose. Packers rookie Craig Newsome picked up the ball and ran untouched 31 yards to the end zone. It was the first blow in what would become a 27-17 victory, a win that took the Packers to the NFC championship game for the first time since 1967.
Simmons wrote: