Ask Kendall Simmons to paint a picture, and you'll have to be more specific. It could be a humorous verbal description of his small, southern hometown. Or it could be an artistic rendition of anything from a ladybug to a blues singer.
The 6-foot-3, 311-pound offensive lineman made as much of an impression at Auburn University with his artwork as he did with his play on the football field.
Drawing has been an artistic outlet for Simmons, who has designed everything from the cover of Auburn's football media guide to T-shirts for the Tigers' winter conditioning program to caricatures of his teammates in various football poses.
“I've been playing ball since I was tiny,” Simmons told the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger, “and I've been into my drawing since before that.”
Simmons, who graduated in December with a degree in graphic design, comes from an artistically inclined family. His younger brother, Thomas, attends the Denver School of Art and Design. His specialty is creating logos, though Steelers fans don't have to worry about Simmons having any designs on changing theirs.
At least, not yet.
“I thought about playing around and seeing what I can do with the logo,” Simmons said. “Hopefully, they'll let me do something like that. Right now, I'm just looking forward to playing.”
A self-proclaimed country boy who grew up in Ripley, Miss., about 80 miles southeast of Memphis, Tenn., Simmons described his hometown as “probably as big as that conference room that y'all are sitting in … a little town (where) you would drive right through it and not even notice it.”
Simmons is referred to as a family man, and on July 13, he will marry Celesta Henry, a fellow Auburn student who Simmons has dated since their freshman year. It's just in time for training camp.
“I'm pushing the envelope a little bit,” Simmons said, “but she's ready.”
Simmons watched the NFL draft on Saturday at the home of his fiance's family in Smiths Station, Ala., on a nine-acre farm across the river from Columbus, Ga., that has cows and a fishing pond with ducks and geese. He might as well have been in paradise.
“He's totally different off the field,” Henry said. “He's a real sensitive family guy. He's one of these cheerful guys who loves little kids. He's always smiling. He's real talkative. He's a good Southern boy. He doesn't have two sides. What you see is what you get.”
That seems to be a common theme regarding Simmons. Coaches from Auburn and the Steelers said so. They were as impressed with his personality and demeanor as they were with his playing ability. Auburn line coach Hugh Nall is so comfortable with Simmons, he said he could leave his three young children with him and never bat an eye.
The book on Simmons: High on character, low on maintenance.
“I didn't try to be anybody else,” Simmons said. “I just went in as myself and tried to impress them best as I could just by being Kendall Simmons. I impressed one person and that's all that matters.
“I don't know what all they said about me,” he added, “but if it's good, that's good.”
Simmons was a four-year starter but was hampered by nagging foot pain his first two years that bothered him when he walked to class. He finally succumbed three games into the 1999 season, having surgery on both feet.
He returned to start the next 25 games at left tackle, holding his own against first-round draft choices Julius Peppers of North Carolina, Dwight Freeney of Syracuse and Charles Grant of Georgia.
“You play against those caliber of players and you either play to their level or get embarrassed,” Simmons said. “I raised my level of play.”
Simmons won Jacobs Award as the top blocker in the Southeastern Conference.
“Kendall's a great player, but he's also a great leader,” Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville told the Huntsville Times. “Other players follow him because they respect how hard he works on the field and how he lives off the field.”
Simmons admits he's a work of art in progress.
The Steelers are hoping it has the makings of a masterpiece.
