Aug. 16, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
GoRedbirds.com: Do you have any nicknames?
Dan Simnick: Simbot, because I run like a robot.
GR: You're a six-time member of the AFNI Honor Roll. What types of things must you do to balance the classroom and the gridiron?
DS: I make sure I do assignments, go to class and meet with my professors when I need help.
GR: What is your dream vacation?
DS: Probably Hawai'i. I've been there before it was real nice.
GR: Do you have any pre-game superstitions or rituals?
DS: Until recently, I wore the same cleats all four years. I had to get them special ordered because they were discontinued. My teammates still tease me about them and call them "Air Siminicks." I just think they are really comfortable.
GR: Do you have any hidden talents or things you want people to know?
DS: I don't know. I don't really have any hidden talents, but I'm pretty handy with tools.
GR: Where do ISU linemen go to chow down?
DS: Actually, we were a pretty big fan of Z's, that Greek joint, but it just closed down. We used to go there a lot, so we have to find a new place now.
GR: What have you liked the most about ISU?
DS: It's a great education, and they just built the new College of Business Building, which is really nice. The athletics program is also second to none.
GR: What do you miss the most about home?
DS: My mom's cooking, some of my friends that didn't go off to college and hanging out with my two brothers.
GR: What types of things do you do to prepare yourself for game day?
DS: I'm kind of superstitious, so I try to do everything the same. Even if I don't really need to tape my wrists, I'll still tape my wrists. I pretty much do the same thing every time.
GR: A lot of times, defensive players are depicted as being extremely angry on game day. Is that a fair description?
DS: I'd say I'm more focused on game day. I'm definitely excited, but more than anything I'm focused on what I have to do.
GR: You're stranded on a desert Island. What three items can you not live without?
DS: Water. I love ice cream, even though it won't last too long on an island. I just got a truck, so hopefully that would be there too and make life a lot easier getting around.
GR: What team do you get pumped up for the most?
DS: Southern Illinois. I know some kids on the team.
GR: You can have dinner with any five people you choose, dead or alive. Who are you dining with?
DS: Walter Payton, Michael Jordan, Vince Lombardi and both my grandfathers. I never met them so that would be nice.
GR: What is one thing about Naperville (Ill.) that everybody should know?
DS: It's expensive. Everything is ridiculously expensive.
GR: What is your favorite sport outside of football?
DS: Ultimate fighting or power lifting. My brother is a big power lifter in Illinois and I just was fighting for the fun of it.
GR: What do you do to relax when you get the chance?
DS: Go get a smoothie and just chill out. Try not to think too hard.
GR: You were honored by Illinois State's Management and Quantitative Methods (MQM) Department with the 2007 MQM Foundation Award for Citizenship and Service. What types of things did you do to receive this honor?
DS: I did everything the rest of our football program does. I just liked it a lot, so I did a lot of it. I did (State Farm) Just Read! program, Habitat for Humanity and some other stuff. Anything that would pop up like food drives, I liked to get involved. I thought it was more rewarding for us than it was for them, just to help out. I also had to write a little essay on why I liked helping people. I got two hundred bucks, but it all went to parking tickets.
GR: What has been your greatest accomplishment as a student-athlete at ISU?
DS: I'd say getting to start for the two playoff games last year. After coming in not knowing if I'd ever get serious playing time that was a big deal for me.
GR: What food would you never eat again, or try period?
DS: I'm not a big sushi fan. Raw fish, that stuff is questionable to me.
GR: Three words to describe Redbird football in 2007.
DS: Championship, dedication and tradition.
