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          On The Trail

          UA jersey tour: Shane Simmons

          WATCH: Shane Simmons UA jersey presentation

          HYATTSVILLE, Md. -- Shane Simmons was one of three players at DeMatha Catholic presented with an Under Armour All America jersey on Thursday afternoon, in a ceremony attended by friends and family.

          The 6-foot-4, 227-pound defensive end and No. 13-ranked prospect in the ESPN 300 feels a sense of accomplishment with a goal met, but sees Thursday’s honor as just as meaningful for DeMatha Catholic head coach Elijah Brooks.

          “It’s great,” said Simmons. “For Coach Brooks to bring a 2016 class that was his first class, three of us made it to the Under Armour All-America Game. That’s great for him, and my school too. I worked hard to be an All-American, and it’s a huge accomplishment for me.”

          DeMatha Catholic has long been considered one of the top basketball producers in the country. With three Under Armour All-America Game selections in the class, Simmons believes this confirms what the football program has become.

          “We are very good at basketball, but we are good at football too. It shows that we aren’t only a basketball school, but a football school that can put out highly ranked football players too,”

          The No. 4-ranked defensive end in the class committed to Penn State on July 30, 2014 over more than 25 of the nation’s top programs. A year later, the reasons for selecting the Nittany Lions continue to ring true.

          “It’s feels like home to me,” Simmons said. “I feel that myself and some of the other players in the class are very comfortable with the coaches. They don’t tell what I want to hear, but what I need to know.”

          Seven questions with Shane Simmons:

          What player are you looking forward to competing with or against in the Under Armour All-America Game?

          I’m just there to have fun. I just want to compete and enjoy the expierence, but I’m not targeting anyone.

          If you could start a team with any player in your class, who would it be and why?

          That’s a crazy question. I would say Terrance [Davis] over there. He’s my boy, and I trust him. That trust is big for teams.

          What is your earliest football memory?

          Being on a 12 [and under] team at the age of eight.

          Which football player did you watch as a kid?

          I grew up watching Tim Tebow and Lavar Arrington. I grew up a Florida fan, and Tim Tebow was big then. He won the Heisman, and I played NCAA video games with him too. Lavar is a mentor for me, we stay in touch and he is part of my family, and I’m part of his family.

          If you could take on any pro in their sport, who would it be and why?

          That’s tough, but I would say LeBron James. He’s a big time athlete, and I would like the chance to go against him.

          What number do your wear, and why?

          I wear number 34 because a lot of greats wear that number. Guys like Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson. Every time I have switched my number, I didn’t have good years, so I’m sticking with thirty four.

          What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

          I talk trash, but I’m quiet and shy off the field.