'I was ready for it': Joshua Simon thriving as bigger target in South Carolina's offense
Joshua Simon was ready for it. There was no doubt. When he found out his fellow tight end Trey Knox would miss last Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury, he knew it was his time.
“It might have been Friday when I knew for sure he wasn’t going to play,” Simon said when he learned of Knox’s status. “I stayed in the game plan, stayed attentive to what was going on and learning everything conceptually. So I was ready for it.”
Coming into last Saturday, Simon didn’t feel pressure to have to step up. He was ready for this moment and knew he could handle it.
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With Knox out, Simon was targeted 11 times, the most he had been all year. He caught seven passes for 64 yards, averaging 9.1 yards per catch. He nearly had a touchdown as well, falling a few inches short of the end zone.
Simon was a big part of what the Gamecocks did in a 38-28 win over Jacksonville State.
By this point in the season, Simon has become a valuable player in the offense. He’s shown time and time again to be someone that’s dependable.
“I mean, that’s all I can ask for. To gain that trust with Spencer, to gain that trust with coach (Dowell) Loggains and my teammates,” Simon said. “If you throw it to me, I’m going to do what I can with it. That’s just something I pride myself on.”
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Vanderbilt football game]
Trust is vital for any team but especially for Simon who tries to have a good connection with his teammates so that things go well come game time.
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“We look to our left, we look to our right. That’s us. These are our guys and we’ve got to trust each other and play with one another on Saturdays,” he said.
Looking ahead to this weekend, there’s a chance Knox might be out once again. Head coach Shane Beamer said on Tuesday he will be questionable for Saturday’s matchup against Vanderbilt. But he has done a little bit at practice so far this week, which makes Beamer hopeful he’ll play.
If Knox is unavailable, it just means Simon will have another chance to shine as the main tight end. But at the same time, he’d love to have his friend and teammate back out there with him soon.
It sucks that it had to happen to him and that I had to step up and play because he got hurt,” Simon said. “Us as players, we hate to see that happen. Hopefully he will get better and come back healthy.”
