Senior receiver makes 74 catches in final season
NEY YORK – Garlic-bred receiver Sean Simmons cemented his spot in the Wagner College record books with 10 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown in the final game of his senior year.
Simmons, who finished with a school-record 74 catches for 894 yards and seven touchdowns, already had the single-season receptions mark locked up – but Wagner’s 24-16 victory over Sacred Heart meant a winning record at 6-5 and whole lot more.
“Us seniors want to go out on top and this is the game,” said Simmons prior to Wagner’s season-finale. “The original record was 61 and I had 64 with two games left. Last game, I only had one catch. Tomorrow, I’m hoping to add a couple to it.”
The 22-year-old business marketing major was playing his first season since recovering from a broken right fibula. It was only two years earlier, Simmons was without a team at Cal State Northridge – which got rid of the football program that year.
After graduating from Gilroy High in 1999, Simmons played two seasons at Gavilan College and then transferred over to Cal State Northridge. But once football was eliminated, the six-foot, 200-pound receiver needed somewhere to go.
“We pretty much knew (football was gone), but we put up a fight. Everyone got the chance to transfer without losing a year of eligibility,” said Simmons, who received interest and eventually a scholarship from Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. “I love it. It’s been a great experience. The biggest thing is it was a great opportunity to see what it was like out here. There’s definitely a different pace to things. It’s faster.”
Simmons also needed to get faster before his junior season so he immediately began running the 100 and 200 meter dash for the Wagner College track team.
“When I first got here, they had questions about me. They’d only seen me on film. I started running track here and it kept me in shape and I worked on my speed,” Simmons said. “I basically used that to get better for football.”
His mission was accomplished when Simmons earned a starting receiver spot and became the No. 1 target.
“That first year I was leading the team and leading the league in receiving before I fractured my right fibula,” Simmons said. “I was just getting settled down and getting into the groove of things and that happened.”
No surgery was required, but Simmons was casted and on crutches for five weeks after the injury. Instead of coming home to Gilroy, the dedicated student-athlete remained in New York over the summer to rehabilitate his knee – working with his coaches on a daily basis.
“I knew I’d be back eventually,” said Simmons, who ran track again for some additional rehab. “I coulda went home and had fun and been with my family, but I knew my senior year I wanted to go out on top. Now it’s paid off looking back.”
The last time Simmons was back in Gilroy was for the Garlic Festival.
“I had a great time,” Simmons said. “I was able to see all my friends.”
Simmons may not have played his last collegiate football game, either. Since he must return for a sixth year because some credits did not transfer over, Simmons is going to petition for another season.
“I could possibly have another year. I’m not expecting it since it is my sixth year,” Simmons said. “I want to play at the next level.”
The weekend warrior hopes to get an opportunity to play professional football in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League, or in Europe.
“I’ve been playing football for 14 years,” said Simmons, who won two national championships with the Gilroy Browns, of Pop Warner Youth Football. “There’s many options out there. I’m going to give football a shot. If that doesn’t work out, I have a good degree from Wagner College.”
Simmons’ ultimate goal is to be honored as an All-American and All-Conference player after his record-breaking season.
“That was a goal I set for myself,” Simmons said.
