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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Wesley "Wes" Simon
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Home Phone: 337-501-0047 Football: Simon overcomes odds Dan McDonald The story is one that makes you feel good. “He’s the kind of kid that you really want to do well,” said University of Louisiana defensive coordinator Brent Pry. It is kind of a fairy tale, how Wes Simon earned a spot on the Ragin’ Cajun squad and became one of the most consistent cogs on the defensive unit. “I saw myself playing college football,” Simon said. “But I saw myself maybe playing strong safety.” Safety was his position in an award-filled career at Notre Dame High, where he earned All-State, All-Star Game and parish defensive MVP honors. So what’s the 6-foot, barely-200-pound Simon doing at linebacker? Necessity, Pry said. “He’s an undersized linebacker,” Pry said, “and he’s playing there because we need him there. He could potentially play a strong safety for us, but there’s no question he can play linebacker because he’s plenty tough enough.” Simon’s abilities came into play Saturday against the multiple attack of Eastern Michigan, one that required the Cajun linebackers to maintain assignments. He responded with a team-high 10 tackles including a sack, and now has 15 stops two games into his junior season heading into Saturday’s 7 p.m. home opener against Northwestern State. “He’s very knowledgable of our whole defense, and very attentive to checks and adjustments,” Pry said. “He helps all our linebackers out … that’s the kind of awareness he has.” In his prep career, he had the advantage of watching things develop from his safety slot. Now, he’s part of a front unit that is built on attacking the line of scrimmage. “I try to use my quickness a lot,” Simon said. “It’s okay when you have some space to work with, but taking on some of those offensive linemen can be tough inside. You just do what you can do.” Grappling with linemen that outweigh him by huge margins would be tough enough for anyone, especially for someone who’s had surgeries on each shoulder. The second of those caused him to miss most of his redshirt freshman season in 2003. He returned to play in all 11 games last year, starting seven times, and ranked fifth on the team with 38 total tackles including at least three in eight different games. “He’s as reliable as they come,” Pry said. “He’ll stick it in there with a 240-pound fullback as well as anybody we have. He approaches the game like you’d want all your guys to.” It’s in great part because of that attitude that Simon was added to the scholarship rolls after the 2004 season, adding to a long-running success story for Cajun linebackers who joined the program as walk-ons. “A lot of people thought I was undersized,” Simon said, “but if you learn the game that really doesn’t matter. The defensive scheme we run fits my abilities pretty well. I’m more like a safety sometimes when we roll into different coverages, but sometimes you just have to get in there and get after it.” That attitude was Simon’s trademark at Notre Dame, where he helped lead the Pioneers to one state title and a semifinal berth in his final two seasons while not thinking much about college football. “It was always in the back of my mind,” he said, “but we were more focused on what was going on at the time. We were always on a run to a state championship. But I was hoping someone would give me a chance.” Notre Dame coach Lewis Cook, himself a former Cajun staff member, pushed Simon toward Pry and then-UL staff member Gary Bartel, who took him mostly at Cook’s word and are now glad of it. “He’s earned everything,” Pry said. “Unselfish, committed to the program, a mature approach to the game. He’s here because of that commitment, and he’s made himself a better player.” Originally published September 14, 2005
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