Mississippi State football signee Jeffery Simmons is facing charges after an incident last week, police in Macon, Mississippi, told ESPN.com.
The mother of the Mississippi woman who was allegedly assaulted by Simmons said the attack was the result of a long-standing dispute between her daughter and his family.
Ellen Hairston of Macon, Mississippi, told ESPN.com that her 30-year-old daughter, Sophia Taylor, suffered head and neck injuries after she was allegedly struck by Simmons and others multiple times during an incident Thursday.
Hairston told ESPN.com that she met with police officials Friday morning and again Monday.
Macon police chief Lucious Mason told ESPN.com that Simmons, Taylor and three others were cited with misdemeanor disturbing the peace by fighting on Monday.
"We're charging everyone who was fighting," Mason said. "They'll all be served with a citation and they'll all go in front of a judge."
Mason said that Taylor signed a private affidavit charging Simmons, his mother, Brenda Bradley, his sister, Ashley Bradley, and another man, Keith McCloung, with misdemeanor assault for their roles in the incident.
Mason said a court date hasn't yet been scheduled.
Hairston posted video of the alleged attack on her Facebook page, and it appears to show Simmons striking a woman several times after she fell to the ground.
"There is nothing to define what they did to my child," Hairston said.
Simmons, 18, a senior at Noxubee County High School in Macon, was ranked the No. 4 prospect in Mississippi and No. 84 prospect nationally by ESPN Recruiting. The 6-foot-4, 262-pound defensive lineman is considered the top signee in the Bulldogs' class, after choosing them over Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Auburn and Louisville.
A Mississippi State spokesman told ESPN.com that the school was aware of the allegations and was gathering information about the incident.
On Saturday, Simmons offered an apology to Taylor and her family on his Facebook page. "My apology goes out to the Taylor Family and especially to Sophia Taylor. What was I thinking? Honestly, I wasn't thinking, all I could think was this is my family and I'm supposed to defend my family" Simmons wrote. He added, "I truly hope that you will find it in your hearts to forgive me for my actions."
According to Hairston, Taylor returned to her apartment on Thursday after she received a telephone call from her babysitter, who told her that Taylor's 9-year-old daughter was arguing with Simmons' 10-year-old sister. Hairston said that when Taylor attempted to leave with her daughter, Simmons and others beat on her car.
Hairston said that Ashley Bradley, another one of Simmons' sisters, then pulled Taylor out of her car and struck her several times, and that after Taylor was pushed to the ground, Simmons struck her several times with his fists. At the end of the video, another woman is shown striking and kicking Taylor. According to Hairston, the woman was Simmons' mother, Brenda Bradley.
"My 4-year-old grandson had to watch them beating his mother," Hairston said.