Redshirt season motivates Simeon
By Marcus Nelson
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, April 21, 2005


BOCA RATON ? Wide receiver Frantz Simeon might be Florida Atlantic's MVP of those who never played a down last season.
Forced to redshirt as a freshman, Simeon felt he was good enough to play alongside senior receivers Roosevelt Bynes and Larry Taylor. When he was told he would be held out to save his eligibility, Simeon wasn't happy and used what he perceived as a snub as motivation to make play after play in practice.
"My goal was to come in and play," said Simeon, a Palm Beach Gardens graduate. "I wanted to come in and play automatically. I thought I was ready. I had a bad attitude about it and I'm still trying to show people I could have played."
Toward the end of the season, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Simeon had raised his level of play to where he would have pushed the upperclassmen, but the coaching staff resisted the temptation, and saved his eligibility.
They are glad they did.
"He's really worked hard since he's got here," said John Vandevere, FAU receivers coach. "He has a very good grasp of the offense. His individual routes had gotten better. He's got great hands. When that ball hits him, it stays there."
The coaching staff noticed Simeon's ability, and when spring drills began he was installed as a starting wide receiver.
"He's had a good spring," Owls coach Howard Schnellenberger said. "There was some concern about him early on, but he's surpassed where he was."
Noteworthy: Starting safety Taheem Acevedo, who dislocated his ankle in Saturday's scrimmage, had surgerythis week but might be out for seven to eight months, which could mean the entire season….. Starting tight end Dantson Dareus hurt his knee during drills and will need to be evaluated. Dareus missed the entire 2003 season after tearing his ACL.

Simeon made some GREAT catches last season at practices and the Spring Game. The kid can play and people will be suprised by his leaping ability!

The Taheem injury was worse than originally thought huh? :(
That's too bad.

Looks like Dareus will be the next Kevin Ketchum. Pull,torn and injured. He also may be injured for the majority of his eligibilty.

Dareus was just starting to turn it up a nocth, I was looking forward seeing him play up to his abilities, bummer :'(

I'll be great to wacth Simeon in action.