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Brandon Simmons made big special teams plays and caught a last-minute, game-winning touchdown pass against Bloomsburg the previous season.
Still, the Williamsport graduate and West Chester wide receiver wanted more as he entered his 2004 junior year. He attacked the offseason hard, made a big impression at spring practices and was told he would be a starting wide receiver that fall if he maintained the talent and conditioning he displayed that spring. From there, Simmons literally did not take a day off, relentlessly working and aiming for greatness.
And that is where Simmons took his first big step toward becoming a Hall of Famer. Another huge one was taken that fall as he put together one of the best seasons in program history. Tonight all that work comes together one last time when Simmons is inducted in the West Chester Football Hall of Fame.
"I'm definitely thankful and grateful. It's an honor and it's humbling," said Simmons, whose son Marcus concluded a historic career at Williamsport last year and who will play at West Chester this fall. "The experience was great. It was fun playing with guys who became like your brothers on and off the field. It was awesome."
So was Simmons in 2004.
After being Williamsport's leading receiver in 1999, Simmons went to Bloomsburg and red-shirted the 2000 season. Bloomsburg reached the Division II national championship that year and, although he did not play in the games, Simmons practiced with the team and traveled to the final. He learned a lot that year, studying film, honing his skills and seeing what it took to become a champion. That laid a foundation that Simmons built on after transferring to West Chester and becoming a valuable special teams player who played on all units and totaled 997 kick return yards.
Everything Simmons learned and had worked toward jelled that junior season in 2004 and he burst onto the national Division II scene, catching 74 passes for 1,534 yards and 20 touchdowns. Simmons was one of the most important players on a team that won the PSAC championship and reached the National Final Four. He still is only one of three players in program history to catch 20 touchdowns in one season and his 1,534 yards are the second most by a West Chester player with his 74 catches ranking fifth.
Simmons did some of his best work in West Chester's biggest games and was key in the Rams overcoming an 0-2 start. West Chester avenged a late-season loss against a Shippensburg team that included future Super Bowl winner John Kuhn during the playoff run and also beat No. 5 East Stroudsburg. West Chester finished 11-4 and one game shy of playing in the national championship, but Simmons showed how explosive he was and the Rams enjoyed one of their best years ever.
"My focus that summer was working hard every day. That summer of 2004 I did not take a day off from working out and that translated to the season," Simmons said. "My teammates believed in me and were giving me a chance to make plays and we were able to win a lot of games. It was definitely a special season and one I'll always remember."
Simmons caught six more touchdowns his senior season and is sixth all-time at West Chester with 2,414 career yards. He also is fifth with 29 touchdowns and his 20.1 yards per catch rank second. Simmons received NFL interest leading up to the 2006 NFL Draft, working out for the Jets, Eagles, Redskins, Raiders and 49ers. Ultimately, Simmons was not selected, but parlayed his collegiate success into a three-year Arena Football League career before retiring in 2009. Simmons has been successful off the field since then and earned his masters degree from Cheyney in 2016.
These days, it feels like everything has come full circle as Simmons watches his son Marcus blaze his own trail. Yes, Marcus will be playing at West Chester like his father, but this is his own football life and Brandon is just enjoying watching it unfold.
"He has to make his own mark. This is his journey. I'm just a dad and a fan watching him play," Brandon said. "I just want him to have success and obviously get his degree because nothing is promised with the game of football. I just want just want him to have fun and do his own thing."
Marcus did not choose West Chester because his dad played there, but because it felt like the right fit. He fit like a glove at Williamsport, helping fuel a remarkable transformation that included a 2016 district championship and state quarterfinal run. The following season, Marcus put together one of the most prolific seasons in program history, catching a record 71 passes for 934 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Had not been for a shoulder injury that prematurely ended Marcus's senior season, he likely would be graduating as the program's all-time leading receiver. Still, considering Williamsport football has existed for more than 100 years, finishing No. 2 with 115 catches, 1,621 yards and 17 touchdowns is mighty impressive.
"It's great for him because of the work he put in and he gets to see the results. As a father, as a fan, as an alum of Williamport it was great. He did some things that were never done before. That's special," Brandon said. "High school ends and life goes on, but to be remembered as a great teammate and great friend is a major accomplishment. He put all the work in, so it was amazing to see him do what he did."
Now Marcus will try enjoying collegiate success as well. He is carrying on the family tradition and he is doing it the right way. He is every bit his father's son.
"The thing I told him is that you just have to enjoy the moment and be yourself," Brandon said. "You never know when you'll get back or what will happen so just enjoy the moment."
That is exactly what Brandon will be doing tonight.
A journey that started long ago has reached its end. And what a ride it has been.