PAT SIMONDS Interview
Wide Receiver – Colgate

By: Alex Khvatov

 

12/12/09

Alex Khvatov:  What were your expectations from a team and an individual standpoint coming into this season?

Pat Simonds:  Well as a team, we wanted to repeat as League Champs and make a deeper run into the playoffs.  We lost more games this season and didn’t fulfill our goals.  I contributed to the team as much as possible.  I tried to be an emotional leader.  I was a captain this year.  I fulfilled most of my individual goals, so I can’t complain. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  Was it tough to end the season on a losing note?

Pat Simonds:  Yeah, it was terrible.  We have a senior class that lives and breathes football.  Losing hurt a little bit especially the last game against Lafayette.  We will be bitter until the playoffs are over.
 

Alex Khvatov:  You broke the single season touchdown record (14 TD’s) at Colgate this season, what does that mean to you personally?

Pat Simonds:  There have been a lot of great wide receivers that have played at Colgate.  They have put up great numbers.  It is a great honor to be up there with them now.  I have my name there now to have someone break my record in the future.  It means a lot.

Alex Khvatov:  What will you miss the most about Colgate?

Pat Simonds:  Definitely the relationships with everyone especially my teammates.  We have a strong bond.  I will miss the overall Colgate experience.  We have a lot of successful alums, established professionals that come back here and share their stories.  They provide us with a lot of valuable advice.    

Alex Khvatov:  What is the highlight of your football career up to this point?

Pat Simonds:  Definitely winning is the highlight.  We won the league last year in the freezing cold.  There was snow on the ground.  We were freezing, but our team didn’t wear long sleeves.  We won by one point and got the bid to the playoffs. 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?

Pat Simonds:  6’5 ½, weight 226 right now and my forty time in the spring was a 4.57. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  What other sports did you play in high school?

Pat Simonds:  Baseball, basketball and winter track.  Baseball was my best sport by far even over football.  But I got hurt sliding into third base as a junior.  The junior season in baseball is a big recruiting year.  Then I went on to have a big senior season in football and went with that. 

Alex Khvatov:  Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?   

Pat Simonds:  I visited Syracuse, Michigan State, James Madison and Cornell.     

Alex Khvatov:  What made you choose Colgate University?

Pat Simonds:  I didn’t get offered a scholarship by anyone other than Colgate.  Colgate stuck with me from the beginning.  That loyalty brought me here. 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your strengths on the football field?

Pat Simonds:  I feel personally my focus during the game.  I am able to block everything out and leave everything outside of the game.  My hands and my size to shield defenders are my best attributes.  My football intelligence has increased since my freshman year.

Alex Khvatov:  What areas of your game do you still need to improve upon?

Pat Simonds:  I think that I need to improve upon my route running which is an issue.  Also my blocking, I have the desire but not the technique.  I need to put in a tremendous amount of work.  I will also go against better competition during the off-season workouts. 

Alex Khvatov:  What is your favorite NFL team?

Pat Simonds:  I am a Bills fan being from NY.  They haven’t given me much to cheer about lately.

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the one NFL player that you would compare your game to?

Pat Simonds:  I like Marques Colston.  He has great hands, he is not afraid to go across the middle and he makes big plays.  Vincent Jackson is another big guy who has proven himself. 

Alex Khvatov:  Which underclassman on your team should we keep an eye on in the future?

Pat Simonds:  I would definitely say our RB Nate Eachus.  He is just a solid kid.  He works hard.  The kid knows what to do with the football.  Our coach said that he could play at any Division I school.  He came here because of the education.  I am glad that he ended up here.

Alex Khvatov:  What do you enjoy most about playing football?

Pat Simonds:  I enjoy mostly winning.  Winning is number one.  All of the guys have the same common goal which is winning.  

Alex Khvatov:  Are you excited that you were invited to the East/West Shrine Game? 

Pat Simonds:  I was ecstatic.  I got the call the night when I got home for Thanksgiving.  I am excited to play in the game.

Alex Khvatov:  How will you prepare for the NFL Draft?

Pat Simonds:  I am going to Phoenix, Arizona.  I will be training at Fisher Sports Facility.  I am planning to train there for the All-Star game, the Combine and the Pro Day.

Alex Khvatov:  How does it feel to be a small fish in a large pond?

Pat Simonds:  It’s exciting.  But it is nothing new to me.  It has always been that way throughout my career.  I came from a small high school in NY.  Now I am trying to get to the NFL.  Being a small fish in a large pond is something that I have dealt with in life.  It is not unchartered territory for me.  I had to prove people wrong out of high school.  I had to prove some people wrong here at Colgate my freshman and sophomore years.  I am excited to do it again. 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your hobbies?

Pat Simonds:  I just like to relax.  I am a low maintenance type of guy.  I like to go fishing.  With football, you are always on the go.  I like to travel.  I like to spend time with family and friends.  I like being outside. 

Alex Khvatov:  Are academics a big part of your life? 

Pat Simonds:  Yes, they have always been especially since coming here.  Some people felt that it would be best for me to take go and train and take a semester off.  That was never an option for me.  I have dedicated so much time to school and I want to graduate on time.  Education is huge for me here.

Alex Khvatov:  What do you plan to do with your life after you are done with football?

Pat Simonds:  I want to go to graduate school.  I was thinking about getting into athletic administration being a collegiate athletic director.  If something presents itself, I will keep an open mind.

Alex Khvatov:  Finish the sentence, Pat Simonds is....

Pat Simonds:  Down to earth, hard-working, focused and eager to learn.