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Bigger, faster Simas aims to make redshirt year pay off
Buffs wide receiver ready to play in fall
Not every interview with a college football player begins with the young man saying he believes he has Attention Deficit Disorder. It's sort of a strange starting point.
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In many ways, Colorado wide receiver Markques Simas isn't a typical guy.
For instance, one of the most highly-recruited wide receivers from the state of California in the 2007 class says he wanted to spend his first season in Boulder redshirting because almost as soon as he arrived, he believed he couldn't compete with bigger, stronger players.
Quite a departure from the "I want to play early" mentality of most four-star recruits.
Simas is a little out-of-the ordinary in other ways as well. He recently began to a love affair with reggae music. It's a departure from the neo-soul collection on his iPod. It has led to a desire to learn to play guitar and piano. And he's thinking of joining fellow CU wide receiver Josh Smith with long dreadlocks hanging down past his shoulders.
If he eventually chooses that hairdo, he could be quite a sight when he completes the rest of the physical transformation he is planning. By the time he departs CU he doesn't plan to look much like the slender, clean-cut kid from San Diego, who reported to Boulder late last Julyafter a three-week trip to Portugal with his family.
Simas got his first tattoo two years ago. It's a crown on the back of his hand. He has since added his last name in big letters down his forearm and a koi fish covering his elbow. He's nowhere near done.
"They're addicting," Simas said. "I've been drawing up a lot of things that I've been wanting to get done.
"My upper-body is probably going to be covered with tattoos by the time I get done here."
Simas creates each of his tattoos himself before taking the artwork to a tattoo artist who makes it a permanent part of him. He draws voraciously, especially in dull classes. Thinking of one of those classes is how he came to admit he believes he has a disorder that hampers his concentration.
After one of his professors delivers a long lecture, Simas is more likely to have filled pages in his notebook with odd drawings than pertinent notes. He recently spent the better part of one class drawing half-octopus-half-man.
"It's probably my downfall," he said.
Simas said he struggled through his first semester in college last fall and must do well this spring and summer to remain academically eligible. Fans are counting on him to help take the Colorado offense to an explosive level next fall. His performance in the first three practice sessions this spring has given fans and coaches more reason to be excited.
The redshirt year was a wise choice. Simas is brimming with a newfound confidence as a bigger, stronger, faster version of the playmaker CU coaches saw on the football fields of Southern California two years ago when he caught 40 passes for 778 yards and 19 touchdowns.
"I've been looking forward to playing for a while," he said. "I came in here with hopes of playing, but I was just too small and I wasn't really too confident in my abilities.
"I kind of took a year to develop as a player and it really helped a lot."
Posted by extrapoint on March 22, 2008 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
...especially in dull classes. Thinking of one of those classes is how he came to admit he believes he has a disorder that hampers his concentration.
(Simas)
Fear not Marques....we have all been there. I passed the time in those classes plotting on how I was going to approach the girl sitting 2 rows up.
Posted by SnowBuff on March 22, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is an awful article....
Posted by shoulder2shoulder on March 22, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
what the hell is the point of this article???? To show the kid doesn't pay attention in class?
Posted by Saheeb on March 22, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, I think Kyle wrote this story typing on his keyboard while "drawing a half-octopus-half-man" on the side. Yeah, odd story. But, Simas sounds like a different type of kid. It just doesn't sound real promising that he's not paying attention in class and has to do well next semester and during the summer to stay eligible. I hope we don't lose another potential stud to academics like PT Gates and others. It ain't that hard to get at least Cs -- just show up to class and listen will get you a 2.0!
Posted by Ralphie2 on March 22, 2008 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
San Diego connection, baby!
Posted by rookie0 on March 22, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
would love to get some football in this article.
Posted by iowabuff on March 22, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How much bigger? How much faster?
Posted by mntbyker on March 23, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I like the article. It's pertinent to us "the fan" to know about the tattoos and their meanings. It draws us close and more personal with the athlete. School!? Who needs school, and especially having to pay attention? Self diagnosed disorders? He doesn't need school if he already has a self-psych degree. Desire to play football isn't a prerequisite anymore, just how many,and the meaning of tatts are important. YEA..., RIGHT..., grow that hair long. If I remember the OK game we got a personal foul because of hair being pulled!
Posted by rswright on March 23, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a shame that school may interfere with football. That was serious. "College football" is a training ground for the NFL. Simas is here for football. What is really surprising is that the NFL gets a farm system without paying a nickel to help cash strapped Universities train its future stars.
Posted by extrapoint on March 23, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
without paying a nickel? Have you seen rookie bonuses lately?
Too bad only a small handful of people can make a living playing tennis, eh? The bitterness keeps showing through. Why cant you just enjoy tennis for what it is and get past the "envy" of more popular sports?
Even though I didnt realize it the time, the dull classes were also good for me. Football games were just one of many extra curricular activities that made school fun and provided a unifying ID and sense of community at the school.
Posted by mntbyker on March 23, 2008 at 2:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
to expound on the long dreds, wasn't it that personal foul that help turn the game for a CU win? Yhea, grow them dreds! Gotta go, I'm getting a tatt today, and skipping class..., oh, it's Spring Break. I have a lot of time..., I don't have any homework..., I think.
Posted by mntbyker on March 23, 2008 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)
...let's start our own tennis pro circuit. I think I can get Bill Gates to sponsor it. Or, better yet we'll have Oprah do a tennis reality show and pay us big money to continue our highly selective sport. We can expand the circuit eventually over taking football as a prime time sport. There will be many tennis players getting paid mega-bucks! We won't have to get tatts or go to school and do all that study-stuff!
Posted by extrapoint on March 23, 2008 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Obviously mtnbyker did not attend Cherry Creek or Cheyenne Mountain high schools.
If he had he would realize that most tennis player's daddies already have mega-bucks.
And as such, school is merely window dressing anyway.
I'm kicking myself in the butt now because I didnt take up the sport. Play my cards and kiss the right A@@ and I may have wound up with in a political campaign and a plum job like teaching the Iraqis to quit smoking.
Posted by houston_buff on March 23, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks like the offseason is getting a little too long for the readers...
Posted by HUFset on March 23, 2008 at 10:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is the worst column I have ever read. Is there any meaning to this incomplete, ridiculous story about athletes that don't care about class. I wonder if the Hawk read this and Simas is running gassers. Meanwhile, how does Ringo have a job after writing this...better yet who is the editor that allowed the release of this crap story about nothing.
Posted by tallisall on March 24, 2008 at 7:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Though he may flunk out and not be eligible, at least he has the tattoo artist thing to fall back on.
Posted by mntbyker on March 24, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
...yes, but this circuit wouldn't be full of Cherry Creakers; it would be the others that didn't have the Ferraris from dad's pocket." Others" meaning Ford Maverick owners with Wilson wood rackets! LOL
Posted by Boulder420 on March 24, 2008 at 4:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This article is not worthy of being labeled a sports article for this paper. This was an awful attempt at journalism.
Posted by NorCalLovesDaBuffs on March 24, 2008 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree, not good. Kyle tries to portray him as an outisde the box type of kid because he 1) listens to reggae, 2) wants dreds 3) gets tatoos, 4) doesn't pay attention in class. That's about as normal as it gets.
Posted by halluxvalgus on March 24, 2008 at 9:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
okay, this is terrible. Dear Simas- STOP DRAWING AND TAKE NOTES.
Dear Ringo- STOP MAKING EXCUSES. We are not wasting a scholarship so a kid can doodle. Man, this makes me want to curse. We all had boring classes. We all had myriad distractions (none so time consuming as football, but we probably had more). We still managed to stay eligible (and there IS eligibility for normal students). And no one ever asked to see my tattoos when I as struggling. Get his @ss in study hall and cover his arms in duct tape. This is unacceptable.
At least he isn't fighting.
Posted by BuffSteve on March 25, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
First of all, lets hope he gets some real help for his ADD. If he can't focus through a 50 minute lecture then he won't be playing football very long at CU because he will be academically ineligible. Am I alone in thinking that the purpose of a university is to get an education? I guess it's pie in the sky. I love CU football but maybe there are some kids that just don't belong at a 4-year university.
Posted by rodrigo on March 25, 2008 at 8:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
BuffSteve,
You're not alone.
Posted by buffalo_flyer on March 25, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
whoa, theres no rule that all football players need a 4.0. If he stays eligible, then its his business how he approaches schoolwork, not yours!
Posted by BuffSteve on March 25, 2008 at 1:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is my business when my discretionary income (i.e Buff Club donation) is paying for his scholarship.
Posted by mntbyker on March 25, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree IF he stays eligible then it's his own business what he does with his body. But, Buffsteve's right when it's other peoples money givig him opportunity to play, and get an education he then needs to do his part with more effort! If he does have ADD, then he should get help, and there is HELP out there.
Posted by buffalo_flyer on March 27, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
no Buffsteve, its not your business, your donation was voluntary, don't start thinking you have some right to tell the athletic department how to do their job
Posted by nwbuff32 on March 27, 2008 at 9:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ummm,
Yes we do. Despite our donations being voluntary, the AD runs on our funding. If we do not feel that the CU AD is running a viable program (football, basketball, soccer, etc.) then we can pull our donations. This will send a strong message letting them know our discontent.
BTW, I am very content to donate to the CU athletic department. Mike Bohn is doing an amazing job and I am very happy to be involved. He is very open to feed back (positive and constructive) and is the boost in the arm this University needed.
Posted by MadCityBuff on March 28, 2008 at 1:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Guys, we are talking about a 18-19 yr old young man... Give him a break. He is finding himself, that is one of the points of college. Not just an education and not just football.
And give poor Kyle a break too. He's making do with what he's got, its spring break. Maybe he cant give us scouting details on Simas, insider info (i hope, otherwise that is rather pertinent to the article).
Posted by extrapoint on March 28, 2008 at 7:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Kyle must not remember his own classroom experience. The first thing I had to do when I got here was take english lit for the 6th time. Dont get me wrong. Inspite of the pain, I probably gained more from those classes that help me get through everyday life than any others.
Part of the problem is well intentioned professors that will grind a point into fine dust hoping that it will reach to the furthest corner of the dullest mind in the room before he is done. By that time most everyone else is daydreaming of the next powder run, their girlfriends or in Simas case
how he is going burn that loudmouth corner in the next practice.
It is a rare individual who can combine anecdotes, metaphors, humor in a presentation that will have an entire class in the palm of his hand for a full hour.
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