Simmonds finds more success at S. Florida

[Brad]

Simmonds finds more success at S. Florida

By Art Voellinger

Nearly 20 years ago when I sat in the Florida sunlight to watch former Belleville West offensive lineman Mike Simmonds participate in the Tampa Bay Bucs training camp on the campus of a community college in St. Petersburg, I had no idea I was watching someone who eventually would gain notoriety on more than the professional level of football.

A 10th-round draft pick in 1987 after attaining All-America honors as an offensive tackle at Indiana State, Simmonds played three seasons for the Bucs. In 1989, as a 6-foot-4, 290-pound starting guard in a game against the Chicago Bears, he earned National Football League Offensive Lineman of the Week honors. In 1990, he signed with San Diego but retired there due to knee injuries.

To Simmonds' credit, he remained involved with football as first an assistant high school coach for eight years and then as the varsity coach at Jefferson High near Tampa where his success included a 75-29 record from 1998-2005 and winning at least 10 games per season during a six-year stretch.

After coaching teams to a 17-7 playoff record, including two runner-up finishes in the state finals, he became a graduate assistant at the University of South Florida and now is the Bulls' offensive line coach while contributing to one of the most amazing stories in collegiate football.

In just its 11th season of football, South Florida has defeated two nationally ranked teams-Auburn and West Virginia-and become the fastest ever to reach Top 25 ranking after starting an NCAA Division I program. By the time the Bulls had rolled to a 5-0 record, South Florida not only was the only unbeaten major university football team in the state of Florida but also ranked (at No. 5) ahead of defending national champion Florida as well as Florida State.

Last season, the Bulls posted a 9-4 record and then defeated East Carolina, 24-7, in Birmingham, Ala., to win the Papa-johns.com Bowl for the Bulls' first-ever bowl game victory.

This season, USF, which plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium (also the home of the Bucs) in Tampa, is a threat for the Big East Conference championship although huge challenges still exist.

In 2006, when Louisville (6-1), Rutgers (5-2) and West Virginia (5-2) finished ahead of South Florida's 4-3 conference record, the Bulls averaged 23 points per game overall.

Here's hoping South Florida continues to succeed with Simmonds involved so I again can watch him in action-but this time while on the sidelines during televised games.

OVERTIME: Founded in 1956, South Florida, whose main campus is located in north Tampa and near Busch Gardens, has a total enrollment of 45,000, making it the ninth largest public university in the nation.

USF moved to Division I-A (now known as the football bowl subdivision) in 2001.

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Who'd have thought 4 weeks ago would seem painful to remember.