Gophers football: Anticipation has become frustration for Simmons

Turf toe, then a stress fracture and then a broken bone has limited the tight end.

Jack Simmons' right foot constantly hurts, and the pain has become worse now that the weather has turned colder. "You just have to deal with it," he said. Frustration is evident in Simmons' voice. Expected to be a key cog in the Gophers new spread offense, Simmons, a junior tight end, instead has had a limited role this season in part because of a broken bone in his foot.

Simmons missed two games, has only 14 catches for 119 yards and no touchdowns and is playing less than last season when he was Matt Spaeth's backup. "It's frustrating in a lot of ways," Simmons said. "One, I really expected to have a great year. I was hoping to step in where Matt left off. Maybe not at his level because he was the best tight end in college football last year. But I thought I could play at a high level in this offense. And then losing compounds it. If I was having this type of year but we were 9-1, it would be a completely different story. I would be happy."

Simmons had a breakthrough performance in place of an injured Spaeth against Texas Tech in the Insight Bowl last season. He had career highs in catches (seven) and receiving yards (134) with one touchdown and showed he can be a valuable target in the passing game.

Simmons heightened those expectations in fall camp. He stood out because of his pass-catching ability and athleticism, and he also developed good chemistry with freshman quarterback Adam Weber.

But a turf toe injury gradually turned worse and he began the season with a stress reaction in his foot. Simmons heard and felt a pop in his foot after making a catch in the season opener against Bowling Green. The diagnosis was a broken bone, and he hasn't felt right since.

His injury affected Weber, too, because he lost a receiver he trusted and could count on.

"We started off strong in fall practice," Weber said. "But he's played with injuries all year. Give all the respect in the world to Jack because he's played through injuries that I don't think a lot of guys would."

In fall camp, Gophers coach Tim Brewster, a former all-Big Ten tight end at Illinois, said he felt Simmons had a chance to be one of the top tight ends in the conference this season. Simmons (6-4, 240 pounds) has good speed and body control and knows how to find space in the middle of the field. But those strengths were neutralized by his bad foot.

"He's showed tremendous toughness and character by just playing," Brewster said. "[His injury] has had a direct effect in the number of balls he's caught."

Simmons visited a specialist in North Carolina while the Gophers played at Florida Atlantic. He was given a harness that enabled him to run, but he stopped wearing it after two games because it limited his mobility.

Now, he is just dealing with the pain while trying to make plays.

"I'm OK," he said. "The bone has healed, and the trust issue is what it comes down to. I just don't trust it right now."

Source: http://www.startribune.com/512/story/1536170.html