Ty Simpson has revealed he will celebrate being picked in the NFL Draft by going turkey hunting – a statement which could land him in hot water with animal rights activists.
The Alabama quarterback is set to be taken in the early rounds of this week’s Draft after being heralded as the second-best signal caller of the 2026 class behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be selected with the No 1 pick.
It remains to be seen which franchise puts their faith in him over the coming days, and when he does get drafted Simpson plans to celebrate in bizarre fashion back home in Martin, Tennessee.
‘I probably will go turkey hunting back in Martin, but it just depends on where and when I get drafted,’ he told reporters hours before the Draft. ‘So no, I’ll definitely enjoy myself. And being with the family is the best part.’
Simpson’s love for hunting is well known, with the 23-year-old speaking openly about his passion for the controversial hobby in the past.
He was even named one of the first four ambassadors of Crimson Tide Outdoors, which sells official Alabama-licensed camouflage outdoor apparel.
Ty Simpson has revealed the bizarre way he will celebrate being selected in the NFL Draft
The quarterback told reporters in Pittsburgh on Thursday that he plans to go turkey hunting
Last summer, Simpson made the most of his apparel deal by organizing multiple hunting trips for his Alabama teammates.
‘Ty hit me up and was like, “Hey, you trying to go hog hunting?” So I was like, “Alright, bet I’ll do it,”; defensive lineman Tim Keenan said last year. ‘So the time came, and I had my camo on and all that.
‘I’m a Bama boy. Going to that place, riding down there, having that experience, looking through the night vision goggles, seeing all the creatures, it was pretty fun. We were shooting at some pretty big hogs, man. That experience was cool.’
When asked who the best hunter on the team was, Keenan insisted: ‘Of course, Ty. Last time we went rabbit hunting, he got a rabbit. Bugs Bunny, he got him.’
‘We went on a rabbit hunt, and I ain’t ever been hunting before,’ running back Jam Miller also said. ‘So I’m ready, I got full camo on, full camo with my orange hat.
‘So Ty ends up shooting a rabbit, and then a little later, Ty gives me his gun while we’re walking through the woods. Now everybody’s screaming at me that one’s coming my way, so be ready.’
Simpson shared photos of the hunting trip on his Instagram story along with the caption: ‘Great time with the fellas this morning’.
With more eyes on him than ever before in the NFL, the Crimson Tide star will risk the wrath of animal rights groups by continuing to follow his hunting passion.
Simpson is expected to be taken in the early rounds of this week’s Draft after being heralded as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 class
He is not the first college quarterback to spark hunting controversy ahead of the NFL Draft, nevertheless.
Then-Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart shared photos of his successful hunting trip in Georgia before being selected by the New York Giants in the 2025 Draft, with one of his friends also claiming that he bagged a big bird during their outing.
‘First [turkey emoji] for @JaxsonDart in Georgia!’ friend and hunter Tyler Jordan wrote on X.
The picture showed both Jordan and Dart kneeling behind a rare, massive turkey: a double-bearded tom.
Dart went on to enjoy an impressive debut season for the Giants, racking up 2,272 passing yards for 15 touchdowns in 14 appearances.
