Q&A: New PSU WR commit Emery Simmons details decision

Joined by his mom, dad and little brother, Emery Simmons visited Penn State this weekend. Traveling from their home in Fayetteville, N.C., it was their first visit to see the University Park campus.

When they departed from North Carolina, Simmons – a 6-foot-1, 186-pound wide receiver who is rated with three stars by Rivals.com – was committed to the in-state Tar Heels. Upon leaving Pennsylvania, however, he had switched allegiances to the Nittany Lions.

In the following Q&A with BWI’s Tim Owen, Simmons recaps the trip, reviews the factors that went into his decision and offers insight into the difficulties that accompany the recruiting process.

BWI: How are you? Tell me how you're feeling now that the weekend is over and you're committed to Penn State?

Simmons: I feel great. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders when I committed to PSU. When I came up here, I felt like it was a dream because I’ve always loved Big Ten football and always wanted to be a apart of it – with the teams like Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and those caliber of teams. So when Coach (James) Franklin and Coach (David) Corley extended that offer out to me and wanted me here at Penn State it was truly a blessing.

Catch me up a little bit. They offered you back in the spring right, after Corley saw you work out? So what has your relationship been like with them since then? How often were you talking and what were the discussions like?

Well, when he offered by that time I was committed to UNC, but he never lost contact with me, and Coach Franklin did the same. The relationship began to be stronger and they just wanted to get me up on campus so they could spend time with me and see what kind of person I was.

That’s what I was curious about, but I was thinking the offer came before your commitment to UNC…

It did, but at the time Coach Corley said it as a soft offer, so at the time I didn’t think much of it and committed to UNC. But after that I was like, Man, that’s Penn State. (laughs) So I had to go back and look at things.

Tell me more about this visit then. Was it as much about you getting to see the place, as it was for the coaches to get to know you and your family?

Yes, sir. It was just a matter of getting up here and seeing everything and once that happened we were sold, pretty much. (He and his family saw) everything – the football part if of it, just every aspect of it.

Take me back a few days then. What was your mindset going into the visit? Like, were you intending to commit if everything checked out?

Going into it, I didn’t plan on committing. I was just coming up to get a feel for everything, but one thing led to another and I just made my decision then. I made my decision because I wanted to be a part of something great, like Penn State and just the family environment and world-class education.

Can you tell me a little bit about (Sunday’s) camp? How did you do, and what did the coaches have to say?

I think I did pretty good, and all the coaches were pleased by my performance today. You can just tell that they are a winning program and love football. (In the 40-yard dash) I ran a 4.49. Everything else, I don’t know.

Describe your skill set as a WR. What's unique to you?

I’m a guy who can go and get the 50-50 balls. Strong and physical and just loves to work and learn from others.

What’s next for you then?

Well, I’m only taking visits to Penn State now, of course. I just don’t know when again. I think the Whiteout game (against Ohio State on Sept. 29).

Last question then... You've had some tough decisions to make recently – and I'm aware how this recruiting process isn't easy – but what are some of the complexities that go along with the recruiting process that the average person maybe doesn't see or doesn't understand?

It’s hard because you can’t make everyone happy. And I only had a couple of offers and it was really stressful, so I couldn’t imagine (what it's like) for the guys who have a lot offers. But at the same time it’s a thrill. It was really an exciting process, so it's like a love-hate situation.