Bill Ford
Ford in March 2011
Born	William Clay Ford, Jr. (1957-05-03) May 3, 1957 (age 55) Detroit, Michigan, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Executive chairman, Ford Motor Company
Spouse	Lisa Ford

William Clay "Bill" Ford, Jr. (born May 3, 1957 in Detroit, Michigan), is an American businessman. The great-grandson of Henry Ford, he serves as the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company. Ford also served as the President, CEO, and COO until turning over those roles to former Boeing executive Alan Mulally in September 2006.^[1][2] Ford is also the Vice Chairman of the Detroit Lions NFL franchise.^[3]

Background[link]

Ford was born in Detroit, Michigan, the great-grandson of Henry Ford and grandson of Harvey Firestone. His father is William Clay Ford, Sr., and his mother is Martha Firestone. On his mother's side his grandparents are Harvey S. Firestone, Jr. and Elizabeth Parke Firestone. On his father's side his grandparents are Edsel Bryant Ford and Eleanor Lowthian Clay. Edsel Ford II, son of Henry Ford II and also a board member, is Bill's cousin. Bill has three sisters: Martha Morse (who has 3 children), Sheila Hamp (who has 3 children), and Elizabeth Kontulis.

Bill attended the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and went on to graduate from Princeton University in 1979, having majored in history and served as president of The Ivy Club. He played on the Princeton rugby team as well. In 1984 he received an S.M. in Management as a Sloan Fellow from the MIT Sloan School of Management.^[4]

He is married to Lisa Vanderzee, and they have four children, all living in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Early career[link]

He joined Ford in 1979 and 1981 held a variety of positions, beginning in product development and on the financial staff, a grooming ground for future executives. He served several years as a mid-ranking executive in product development. He also briefly headed the Climate Control Division (since divested from the company as part of the Visteon spinoff). At the time of the Ford 2000 reorganization, he was in charge of heavy truck operations.

Corporate governance[link]

Ford gave up an executive position in heavy truck program management to become chairman of the finance committee on the Board of Directors, a non-executive corporate governance position. He was elected Chairman of the Board in September 1998, and took office on January 1, 1999. Ford added the title of Chief Executive Officer on October 30, 2001, following the ouster of then-CEO Jacques Nasser. That ouster reflected significant differences in corporate values—Nasser focused on maximizing corporate profits and shareholder value, while Ford was noted for valuing people and tradition. With the retirement of Ford President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Padilla in April 2006, Bill Ford assumed those roles as well.^[5] On September 5, 2006, Ford announced that he was stepping down as President and CEO, naming former Boeing senior executive Alan Mulally as his replacement. Ford continues as the company's Executive Chairman^[1]

At the time of his stepping down, Ford was ranked 264th on Forbes' list of top-earning CEOs, at $5,140,000 per year. Mr. Ford donates most of his compensation to various charitable causes.^[6][7]

Personal[link]

Bill Ford generated a name for himself early when he was serving as the new Chairman of the Board. On February 1, 1999, when the Ford Rouge Powerhouse had an explosion that killed several Ford employees, Bill Ford rejected the ideas of his advisers and rushed to the scene from the nearby Ford world headquarters building. One of his staff cautioned, "Generals don't go out to the front lines." Ford's retort: "Then bust me down to private." Ford stopped and gave a heart-breaking account of the explosion to roadside television crews.^[8]

According to news reports, Ford "is a tae kwon do blackbelt, a vegetarian and a folk guitar player." ^[9] Ford also plays on the company hockey team, which has won their division at the 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships in Eagle River, Wisconsin.

Ford also is Vice Chairman of the Detroit Lions football team, Chairman of the Detroit Economic Club, and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of The Henry Ford museum. He also is a Vice Chairman of Detroit Renaissance and a member of the Board of Directors of eBay Inc. In 2000, Ford was cited to be worth around $2.8 billion based on the company's high stock price; however, today Ford's stake in the company is valued lower.

In 2009, Ford was featured in the IFTA nominated^[10] Canadian-Irish docudrama Death or Canada. Ford gives insight into the trials his family faced when they fled Ireland in 1847, at the height of the An Gorta Mór or Great Hunger, making their way to the United States through Canada, as many Irish immigrants of the time did.

In 2011, Ford was inducted into Irish America magazine's Hall of Fame^[11]

Business developments[link]

Bill Ford has driven an electric Ford Ranger EV, and currently a Hybrid Electric Escape. In 2000, he announced that the company would achieve a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency in the company's light truck fleet, including SUVs, by mid-decade. That commitment proved to be impractical, given consumer preference for heavy towing capacity and large, powerful engines in their trucks; the company announced in 2003 that competitive market conditions and technological and cost challenges would prevent it from achieving the goal. Ford terminated its ongoing electric vehicle program as impractical and unaffordable from a profitable business standpoint. Some environmentalists^[who?] questioned Bill Ford and the Company's commitment to environmental concerns, and others pointed to Ford Motor Company's continued marketing of the fuel-thirsty SUVs as evidence of an other-than-green corporate agenda. Ford's position is that for the company to remain profitable and competitive (and remain in business), it must supply what customers demand. During 2006, there was an unexpectedly large swing in consumer demand away from pickups and SUVs to smaller cars and crossover vehicles, due to rapid increases in gasoline prices, and Ford Motor Company was largely unprepared for such a sudden shift in demand.

Under Bill Ford's direction, Ford Motor Company made technological progress toward improving fuel efficiency, with the introduction of the Hybrid Electric Escape, the most fuel efficient SUV on the market, achieving 36 mpg (EPA) in city driving. [10]. The Escape's platform mates Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute are also scheduled to receive hybrid-electric powertrain options, along with other upcoming vehicles in the Ford product line including the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan. Ford announced that half of the vehicle lineup will be available with advanced hybrid-electric powerplant options by 2010, although the Company's earlier pledge to build 250,000 hybrid vehicles a year by 2010 proved to be overly optimistic, and had to be abandoned. Ford also continues to study Fuel Cell-powered electric powertrains, and is currently demonstrating hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine technologies, as well as developing the next-generation hybrid-electric systems. In addition, to the Ford Escape, Hybrid Escape, Mercury Mariner, and Mazda Tribute, Ford is currently marketing high efficiency crossover SUVs such as the Ford Freestyle, and the Volvo XC70 and Volvo XC90. Ford is also developing sporty new crossover SUVs, such as the Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX, and Mazda CX-7.

Ford has expanded its lineup of flexible-fuel vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles, and dual-fuel vehicles. Flexible fuel vehicles can operate on a range of fuel mixtures - such as ethanol-gasoline blends ranging from pure gasoline to E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline). Alternative fuel vehicles operate on non-petroleum fuels, such as methanol, compressed natural gas (CNG), propane, and hydrogen. Dual fuel vehicles generally have two fuel tanks - one for compressed natural gas or propane, and another for regular gasoline - with a selector switch to choose between them. Vehicles using these fueling alternatives are currently in test fleets, for example as taxis and shuttle buses, and some are or will soon be available for sale to the public. Ford is now committed to sell 250,000 alternative and flexible fuel vehicles - the majority of which will be designed to operate on ethanol-gasoline blends such as E85 - in 2006. [11]

Speaking at conference in November 2000 in London Ford suggested that the company may one day offer a service where it owns vehicles and makes them available to people when they need access to them.^[12]

Market competition, health care and raw material costs, led Ford to announce a second restructuring for its North American operations in four years. Ford's restructuring plan, dubbed "The Way Forward", reversed a $1.6 billion loss during 2009 in its North American operations. The company returned to profitability in 2010.^[13]

Fontinalis Partners[link]

Bill Ford has become an advocate for improvements to be made in all modes of global transportation. Bill Ford has stated that governments and private industry will need to rethink transportation infrastructure and technology as the global population expands and the existing infrastructure is unable to keep pace.^[14]

In January 2010, Bill Ford announced the launch of a strategic investment firm, Fontinalis Partners, with the purpose of investing in intelligent transportation companies seeking to integrate technology into everyday transportation. Bill Ford co-founded the firm with Ralph Booth (Chairman and CEO of Booth American Company and successful media and telecom investor), Mark Schulz (former head of Ford Motor Company’s international operations), Chris Cheever, and Chris Thomas.^[15]

Fontinalis Partners made its first investment in January 2010 when it invested in Parkmobile International, a provider of mobile parking payment systems that allow users to pay for and monitor parking using their mobile phones. In June 2010, Fontinalis Partners added to its portfolio with an investment in Everyday Solutions, a company that provides GPS-driven software and hardware to school districts to allow for the monitoring of school bus fleets.^[16] In May 2011, Fontinalis Partners invested in SQLstream, a stream computing company that addresses the growing need to analyze real-time data for a wide variety of business and government applications, including the real-time analysis of sensor and GPS data in order to reduce congestion and optimize personal mobility.^[17] In June 2011, Fontinalis Partners invested in Streetline, a provider of smart parking solutions that enable cities and private operators to collect parking data via in-ground sensors, which can then be distributed through smart phone and web applications to provide users with information on real-time parking availability.^[18] In September 2011, Fontinalis Partners further added to its portfolio with its investment in Parking In Motion, a company that has developed a robust database of parking information, which is delivered to users through the company’s branded mobile apps and partnerships with navigation providers, mobile developers, and other commercial partners.^[19] In December 2011, Fontinalis Partners announced an investment in Life360, a company that allows users to locate, communicate with, and receive security updates regarding the safety of their family members through their mobile phones.^[20] Fontinalis Partners continues to evaluate additional opportunities to invest in companies solving global transportation issues.

See also[link]

• Ford family tree

References[link]

• Automobile Magazine interview of William Clay Ford, Jr

External links[link]

• Ford media info web site
• Ford Motor Company Biography
• Fontinalis Partners Biography
• William Ford Jr.'s campaign contributions
• Bill Ford's The Way Forward speech - 23 Jan 2006
• The Fords go into Reverse - by John Lippert and Bill Koenig A lengthy Bloomberg article (2007) profiling Bill Ford and the 81-member family.

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Jack Kornfield
School	Theravada
Personal
Born	(1945-07-16) 16 July 1945 (age 66) United States
Senior posting
Title	Vipassana instructor
Religious career
Website	http://spiritrock.org/

Jack Kornfield (born 1945) is a teacher in the vipassana movement of American Theravada Buddhism.^[1] He trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma and India, including as a student of the Thai monk Ajahn Chah. He has taught meditation worldwide since around 1974.

Biography[link]

After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1967, Kornfield joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to the Public Health Service in northeast Thailand, where there are several Buddhist forest monasteries. Here he met Ajahn Chah, who became his teacher. Upon returning to the United States in 1972, Kornfield co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein.

Kornfield holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Saybrook Institute.^[2] He is also a founding teacher of the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California, where he currently lives.

Teachings[link]

Kornfield's work has focused on integrating Eastern spiritual teachings in an accessible way for Western students.^[3]

Books published[link]

His books include

• Kornfield, Jack; Breiter, Paul (1 September 1985). A still forest pool: the insight meditation of Achaan Chah. Quest Books. ISBN 978-0-8356-0597-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=orfpaVQsAK8C. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
• Feldman, Christina; Kornfield, Jack (1991). Stories of the spirit, stories of the heart: parables of the spiritual path from around the world. HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 978-0-06-250321-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=6RQRAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
• Kornfield, Jack (1 June 1993). A path with heart: a guide through the perils and promises of spiritual life. Bantam Books. ISBN 978-0-553-37211-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=yf-npAo-_dEC. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
• Goldstein, Joseph; Kornfield, Jack (29 August 1995). The Path of Insight Meditation. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1-57062-069-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=bnMOAAAACAAJ. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
• Goldstein, Joseph; Kornfield, Jack (6 March 2001). Seeking the heart of wisdom: the path of insight meditation. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1-57062-805-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=LTGbPwAACAAJ. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 
• Kornfield, Jack (2 October 2001). After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-553-37829-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=OLwDoC1czP8C. Retrieved 6 June 2011. 

Kornfield lectures were featured by Joe Frank on his radio series "The Other Side."

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jack Kornfield audio from the DIY Dharma website
• The Eightfold Path for the Householder [1] from the Urban Dharma website

Ron Simmons
Ring name(s)	Ron Simmons[1][2] Faarooq Asad[1][2] Faarooq[1][2]
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3][4][5]
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[6]
Billed weight	270 lb (120 kg)[6]
Born	(1958-05-15) May 15, 1958 (age 54)[1] Perry, Georgia[2]
Resides	Marietta, Georgia[6]
Billed from	Warner Robins, Georgia[6]
Trained by	Hiro Matsuda[1][2][6]
Debut	October 1986[1][2]
Retired	February 6, 2010[2]

Ronald "Ron" Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American former professional wrestler and American Football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling under his real name and in the World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/E) under both his real name and the ring names Faarooq Asaad^[1] (sometimes spelled Asad) and Faarooq (sometimes spelled Farooq^[1]).

In WCW, he was a one time World Heavyweight Champion;^[1][7] as the first of two African Americans to win the title, he is recognized by WWE as the first Black world champion in professional wrestling history, followed by Booker T.^[8] He was also a one time World Tag Team Champion with Butch Reed and a one time United States Tag Team Champion with Big Josh.^[9][10] In the WWF, he was a three time Tag Team Champion with Bradshaw as one half of the Acolytes Protection Agency.^[11] He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2012.^[12]

Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, Simmons was an American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL) and United States Football League (USFL) for four seasons during the 1980s. He played college football for Florida State University, and was recognized as an All-American. He played professionally for the NFL's Cleveland Browns, the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders and the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits.

Early years[link]

Born in Perry, Georgia, Simmons attended Warner Robins High School, where he played football as a tight end and linebacker. In 1976, he was named lineman of the year, and first team All-State by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Football career[link]

Simmons was an All-American football player at Florida State University (FSU) from 1977 to 1980 under coach Bobby Bowden (whom Simmons described as "a second father"), spending four years as a defensive nose guard. The Seminoles were 39-8 during Simmons's years at the school, finishing in the Associated Press Top 20 three times ('77,'79 and '80), earning back-to-back Orange Bowl trips after Simmons's junior and senior seasons.^[13] In 1979 Simmons finished ninth in the Heisman voting.^[14] In 1988, Simmons's jersey (number 50) was retired by FSU,^[15] the third time a number has been retired in school history. In addition, Simmons was inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame for his accomplishments while playing at Florida State. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.^[16][17]

He later had a brief career in the National Football League (NFL), selected as pick #160 in the 1981 NFL Draft. He played for the Cleveland Browns in 1981, and the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits in 1984 and 1985, and it was in Tampa where he was a teammate of future professional wrestler Lex Luger.

Professional wrestling career[link]

National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling (1989–1994)[link]

Simmons teamed up with Butch Reed to form Doom. In the beginning, the members of Doom were masked and only known as Doom #1 and Doom #2, managed by Woman. In their pay-per-view debut at Halloween Havoc 1989, Doom defeated The Steiner Brothers. In the "Iron Team Tournament" at Starrcade 1989, Doom finished fourth, losing all three of their matches. With new manager Teddy Long, they rebounded and defeated The Steiner Brothers for the NWA World Tag Team Championship at Capital Combat in 1990.

They held the title for nine months, defeating teams like The Rock 'n' Roll Express and feuding with The Four Horsemen. Among their most memorable encounters during their title reign was a street fight against Horsemen Arn Anderson and Barry Windham at Starrcade 1990 which ended in a no-contest when Windham pinned Simmons while Reed simultaneously pinned Anderson. Doom were recognized as the first holders of the WCW World Tag Team Championship in January 1991, finally losing the titles to The Freebirds at WrestleWar in February 1991. Subsequently, Doom broke up, with Simmons turning face and feuding with Reed, defeating him in a cage match at the very first SuperBrawl. Simmons defeated midcarders including Oz and The Diamond Studd, then unsuccessfully challenged Lex Luger for the World Heavyweight Championship at Halloween Havoc, losing the best-of-three-falls match one fall to two. Simmons spent the first half of 1992 feuding with Cactus Jack, whom he defeated via pinfall at SuperBrawl II.

On August 2, 1992, a scheduled title match between Sting and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader was canceled after Jake Roberts (kayfabe) injured Sting.^[18] WCW President Bill Watts responded by holding a raffle to determine the number one contender.^[18] Simmons won the raffle and defeated Vader with a snap scoop powerslam to win the championship.^[18] By defeating Vader, Simmons became the first recognized African American WCW World Heavyweight Champion.^[18]

Simmons held the title for five months. He continued to feud with Cactus Jack, with Jack bringing in The Barbarian to challenge Simmons at Halloween Havoc. At Starrcade, Simmons was scheduled to wrestle Rick Rude, but due to Rude being injured he faced "Dr. Death" Steve Williams instead, wrestling to a double countout that was changed to a disqualification win for Simmons when Williams attacked him after the match. His title reign ended two days later on December 30, 1992, when Vader defeated him to regain the title. Afterwards, Simmons was relegated to mid-card status, eventually becoming a bitter heel who felt like the fans abandoned him after he lost the championship. Simmons unsuccessfully challenged Dustin Rhodes for the United States Heavyweight Championship and Paul Orndorff for the World Television Championship during his last months with WCW.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1994–1995)[link]

Simmons appeared in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from late 1994 to early 1995. During that time he unsuccessfully challenged World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas at November to Remember and had matches with Mikey Whipwreck and 911.

World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (1996–2004)[link]

After ECW, Simmons joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and made his debut on the July 22, 1996, episode of Raw. His first gimmick was that of Faarooq Asad, a gladiator who wore a black and blue gladiator outfit with a misshaped helmet and was managed by Sunny. Simmons started his first feud with Ahmed Johnson before shortening his ring name to Faarooq.

Nation of Domination (1996–1998)[link]

As Faarooq, Simmons dropped his gladiator gimmick and with his new manager, Clarence Mason, formed a stable known as the Nation of Domination. The Nation of Domination was loosely based on the Nation of Islam and the Black Panther Party, although the members of the stable were not exclusively African American. They mostly feuded with Ahmed Johnson, who Faarooq was combating before. Faarooq's ongoing "war" with Johnson included matches at the Royal Rumble in 1997, where Ahmed won by disqualification, and another at Wrestlemania 13 where Ahmed recruited the Legion of Doom to take on the entire Nation in a Chicago Street Fight, which was won by Johnson and the Road Warriors. The group stayed together until Faarooq became angry with them for costing him the WWF Championship. After Simmons threw Crush and Savio Vega out of the Nation, Crush and Vega formed their own rival factions, known respectively as the Disciples of Apocalypse and Los Boricuas, and Faarooq recruited more African American members for the Nation. The three stables feuded with one another throughout 1997. In early 1998, Simmons's leadership of the Nation of Domination was usurped by The Rock, and he spent several months feuding with his former stablemates.

The Acolytes / The APA (1998–2004)[link]

After being dumped from the Nation, Simmons teamed briefly with 2 Cold Scorpio. In late 1998, Simmons began teaming with Bradshaw as Hell's Henchmen. They were managed by The Jackyl until he left the WWF, at which point they were repackaged as members of The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness and were renamed the "Acolytes", as they acted like acolytes to The Undertaker. The Acolytes recruited Phineas I. Godwinn and Mabel to the Ministry by kidnapping and brainwashing them (renaming them Mideon and Viscera, respectively), and feuded with The Undertaker's rivals, such as D-Generation X and The Brood, the latter of which later joined the Ministry of Darkness as well.

After The Undertaker suffered an injury in late 1999, the Ministry of Darkness disbanded. Simmons and Bradshaw continued to team with one another, and eventually adopted the gimmick of two brawlers who enjoyed drinking beer and smoking cigars, becoming faces in the process. After Bradshaw began hiring out the services of the Acolytes as mercenaries and bodyguards, the tag team was renamed the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA). Around this time, Simmons would start saying his trademark "DAMN!" catchphrase, though it wouldn't be emphasized as much as it would be later on.

The APA teamed together until 2002, when Simmons was drafted to the SmackDown! brand. Around this time, Simmons changed his ring name to his real name by choice, due to the terrorist group Al-Qaeda having a training camp called All-Faarooq.^[19] Simmons had a brief heel run when he teamed with Reverend D-Von until he left television in December 2002, but in June 2003 he returned to WWE with Bradshaw and the APA reunited.

In his last WWE storyline, he was fired by former SmackDown! General Manager Paul Heyman . It was assumed the APA would be fired, but it turned out to only be Faarooq. Simmons retired from his in-ring career, kayfabe accusing Bradshaw of not being a faithful friend. In reality, Simmons, who had been planning to retire due to his health and age and become a backstage agent for the company, was let go the day this angle aired on Smackdown; reports at the time indicated there was "inappropriate conduct"" at WrestleMania XX festivities the weekend prior.^[20]

Sporadic appearances and Hall of Famer (2006–present)[link]

Simmons making a promotional appearance for WWE in 2005

In 2006, during a rebroadcast of the 1981 Orange Bowl on Sun Sports, Simmons stated that since that time he has retired from wrestling action, but would like to continue or even improve his role with WWE. Starting on October 23, 2006, he began making short cameos on Raw under his given name to say his catchphrase of "Damn", often in awe of or shock at odd happenings. On the November 20, 2006, edition of Raw, Simmons was chosen by Ric Flair to replace the injured Roddy Piper at the Survivor Series to take on the Spirit Squad. He was the first to be eliminated, via countout. He was seen in the ring with Chris Masters in the "Master Lock Challenge" on the January 15, 2007 edition of Raw, a confrontation which ended prematurely after interference from Super Crazy. Although Simmons technically broke the Master Lock, it was not officially recognized because of Crazy's interference. On the July 27, 2007, edition of SmackDown!, Simmons was named the best man for Theodore Long and Kristal's kayfabe wedding.

Simmons also engaged in a feud against Santino Marella. On September 10, 2007, on Raw, Simmons was attacked by Marella. On the September 24, 2007, edition of Raw, Simmons made a return to the ring and defeated Santino Marella by countout after Marella left the ring and walked out. A week later, Simmons said "Damn" one more time after throwing Steve-O out of a nearby door.

Simmons occasionally competed on WWE Heat, taking on jobbers from the town in which the show is being taped. At the end of each match, Simmons held a microphone, pulling it toward and away from his mouth while the crowd cheered him until he eventually said "Damn". On December 3, 2007, Simmons and Bradshaw were hired by Hornswoggle to help him in a no disqualification handicap match against Jonathan Coachman and Carlito in which they helped him win.^[21][22] Simmons appeared on Raw's 800th episode on November 3, 2008, appearing on the entrance ramp and saying his signature phrase "Damn" while many superstars were dancing in the ring. He also returned during the 2008 Slammy Awards with Mickie James to give The Great Khali the DAMN Moment of that year's Slammy Awards.

Simmons was released from WWE on January 13, 2009, due to budget cuts. Simmons showed up backstage on the November 15, 2010 episode of WWE Old School Raw, using his catchphrase "Damn". Simmons appeared once again on the May 2, 2011, episode of Raw in a backstage segment for The Rock's birthday celebration, saying his famous catchphrase "Damn" again.

In 2012, it was announced that Simmons would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.^[23] In Feb. 2012 WWE.com released a video segment highlighting Ron Simmon's WWE and WCW achievements, as well as his football career.^[23] Simmons was also credited in the tribute as being WCW's first African American heavyweight champion.^[23] Simmons was acknowledged as a memorable character in WWE's "Attitude Era".^[23] He was formally inducted on March 31 by John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Dominator^[1] (Standing or a kneeling inverted front powerslam)^[24] – WWF/E
  • Snap scoop powerslam pin^[24][25]
  • Standing thrust spinebuster^[1][24][25]

• Signature moves
  • Belly to back suplex^[24]
  • Delayed vertical suplex^[26]
  • Double powerbomb^[1]
  • Elbow smash^[26]
  • Forearm club^[25]
  • Headbutt drop^[25]
  • Football tackle to the knees^[26]
  • Neckbreaker^[24]
  • Running leaping shoulder block^[24]
  • Short-arm clothesline or a short-range lariat^[26]

• With Bradshaw
  • Finishing moves
    • Aided powerbomb^[27]
  • Signature moves
    • Double spinebuster^[27]

• Managers
  • Woman^[28]
  • Theodore Long^[28]
  • Sunny^[28]
  • Clarence Mason^[28]
  • The Jackyl^[28]
  • Jacqueline^[28]

• Nicknames
  • "The All-American"^[1]

• Entrance themes
  • "Don't Step to Ron" by S. Tatum, J. Papa, M. Williams, and M. Seitz^[29] (WCW)

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[30]

• Memphis Championship Wrestling
  • MCW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bradshaw^[31]

• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bradshaw^[32]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1992)^[33]
  • PWI ranked him #20 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992^[34]
  • PWI ranked him #91 of the 100 best tag teams of the PWI Years with Butch Reed in 2003^[35]
  • PWI ranked him #108 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[36]

• World Championship Wrestling
  • WCW United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Big Josh^[10]
  • WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[37]
  • WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Butch Reed^[9]

• World Wrestling Federation / WWE
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Bradshaw^[38][39][40]
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)^[12]

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

Professional wrestling portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ron Simmons

• Mick Foley (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins. p. 511. ISBN 978-0-06-103101-4. 
• An interview with Ron Simmons, conducted by Thomas Chamberlin
• In-Depth In-Person Sit Down Interview with Ron Simmons circa 2005
• WWE Alumni Profile
• Ron Simmons at Accelerator3359.com
• Ron Simmons at Canoe.ca
• Ron Simmons at Online World of Wrestling
• Solie's title histories
• Ron Simmons at the Internet Movie Database
• Florida State University Year-By-Year Photos
• Florida State University Official Athletic Site
• Heisman Trophy