By
W.A.
Myatt
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Will Simmons started his 34th straight game at right
guard for East Carolina in
a 58-24 homecoming win over Tulsa on Saturday. He is generally
regarded as one of the top offensive lineman in Conference USA and has
the attention of NFL scouts.
Simmons is 6 feet 5 and 342 pounds, which is big,
even by today's standards. He has increased his bench press by 55 pounds
to 415 over the last two years and has made marked improvement in other
lifts as well.
The Ahoskie native is majoring in health fitness.
"The Pit Bull," as he is referred to by teammates, answered questions
after practice on Tuesday.
Q: Favorite restaurant in Greenville?
A: Big Daddy's. They have great pizza.
Q: What's your favorite movie you've seen with
the team on a Friday night?
A: The Family with Robert De Niro.
Q: When did you first start playing football
and what attracted you to the game?
A: My coaches wanted me to play in middle
school because I was bigger than everybody else. I started playing
in seventh grade when I was twelve years old. I fell in love with
it.
Q: You lost 100 pounds in high school and then
gained 60 when you came to East Carolina. How was that transition?
A: It was tough, it required a lot of hard
work. I had to stay dedicated to it. With each weight extreme, it
gives you a different perspective on playing offensive line, the
technical aspect of the position.
Q: Do you prefer pass-blocking or
run-blocking?
A: I love to run-block. I just do whatever
I can to help the team win.
Q: How'd you get the nickname "Pit Bull"? Do
you like it?
A: It's alright. (Offensive line) coach
(Brandon) Jones gave it to me. I've kind of grown accustomed to it
now. All the boys call me that � you'll very seldom hear anyone call
me Will.
Q: What do you plan to do with your Health
Fitness Specialist major when your football career is over?
A: I interned at Vidant Wellness and I
really liked that, but I'm not really sure. I still have a lot of
thinking to do.
Q: Your Senior Day is coming up. What's that
going to be like for you?
A: It's going to be emotional, for all the
guys. I'm excited about it, my last regular season game in "The Fick."
It's going to be exciting.
Q: Do you think you could adapt well to other
positions on the offensive line?
A: I definitely think I could, if I worked
hard at it.
Q: Which NFL team would you most want to play
for, if you had your choice?
A: My favorite team is the New York Giants,
but that doesn't really matter when it comes to playing at the next
level.
Q: What's the weirdest thing that's happened
in the huddle in your career?
A: We don't huddle up in our offense. It's
a fast-paced system. You might see some guys trip every now and then
� funny stuff happens � but sometimes you're so "in the zone" you
don't even notice.
Q: How would you describe quarterback Shane
Carden as a leader?
A: He's a great guy and a great leader. If
there's anybody on our team that we really look up to, it's Shane.
Q: How do unwind after the intensity that
comes with a college football game?
A: I've got to be by myself for a while
after the game. Most of the time, I'll either play video games or go
in my room and hang out with my dog.
Q: If you won the lottery, what would be your
first three purchases?
A: I would buy myself a house if I hit it
big � you know, go ahead and take care of that. Then, I would get my
mom and dad a new house, because they look after me all the time,
and then I would get a dog house for my dog.
Q: What's your favorite thing about East
Carolina?
A: The people. I love the people. I grew up
in the eastern part of North Carolina (Ahoskie) and you won't find a
better group of people.
The
Brian Bailey Show airs on Pirate Radio 1250
on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. This week's guests
were high school coaches Jim Bob Bryant,
Brian Paschal, Paul Cornwell and Dave
Wojtecki:
ECU
coach
Ruffin
McNeill
discussed
the
Pirates'
road
win
over
FIU
and
previewed
their
home
game
with
Tulsa:
