TypicalBill
05-16-2003, 11:45 PM
There might be a running back battle in Buffalo this season, but it has nothing to do with the drafting of Willis McGahee.
Ken Simonton wasn't even on an NFL roster last season, but he has done just what the Bills' player personnel department hoped he would in Europe -- get better. Now Simonton has exploded offensively as a member of the Scottish Claymores and will challenge any other running back in Bills camp come July.
The 5-foot-8, 191-pound back from Oregon State signed with the San Francisco 49ers as a rookie free agent last summer, but was released before camp even began. He ended up watching all the games in 2002 from his couch before Buffalo took a chance and signed him two days before the Super Bowl. The team then allocated him to NFL Europe. Now with the proper refinement, Simonton could become a weapon.
"Opportunity. That's something a man like me has for an ultimate goal," Simonton said. "With the right opportunity, chances and looks, I know I can play in the NFL. I just think I've been blessed that I have fallen into a situation where I am given the opportunity to do what I do.
"I just came out here to learn how to become a better professional. Do what I do and come back healthy. It's a blessing to be as productive as I have been so far."
And with this opportunity comes great responsibility. Simonton became the featured back for Scotland and he has responded well. Heading into Week 7, he trails Rhein's Autry Denson by just six yards for the league lead in rushing.
It's Simonton's receiving prowess, however, that has helped the Claymores most. Even as a running back, Simonton is tied for second in the league with 26 receptions and is eighth with 263 yards. His 780 total yards from scrimmage leads the league and is far and away more than Denson's 566, which ranks second.
More.... (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6371187)
Ken Simonton wasn't even on an NFL roster last season, but he has done just what the Bills' player personnel department hoped he would in Europe -- get better. Now Simonton has exploded offensively as a member of the Scottish Claymores and will challenge any other running back in Bills camp come July.
The 5-foot-8, 191-pound back from Oregon State signed with the San Francisco 49ers as a rookie free agent last summer, but was released before camp even began. He ended up watching all the games in 2002 from his couch before Buffalo took a chance and signed him two days before the Super Bowl. The team then allocated him to NFL Europe. Now with the proper refinement, Simonton could become a weapon.
"Opportunity. That's something a man like me has for an ultimate goal," Simonton said. "With the right opportunity, chances and looks, I know I can play in the NFL. I just think I've been blessed that I have fallen into a situation where I am given the opportunity to do what I do.
"I just came out here to learn how to become a better professional. Do what I do and come back healthy. It's a blessing to be as productive as I have been so far."
And with this opportunity comes great responsibility. Simonton became the featured back for Scotland and he has responded well. Heading into Week 7, he trails Rhein's Autry Denson by just six yards for the league lead in rushing.
It's Simonton's receiving prowess, however, that has helped the Claymores most. Even as a running back, Simonton is tied for second in the league with 26 receptions and is eighth with 263 yards. His 780 total yards from scrimmage leads the league and is far and away more than Denson's 566, which ranks second.
More.... (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6371187)