Oct. 22--Bathroom breaks are rare. So are trips to the concession stand. Conversations are brief.
Tom and Katy Simon keep their focus on the field during Notre Dame football games. If they don't, they might miss their son Tim making another game-changing play.
"We really want to see Tim on the field, and just watch him play," Tom Simon said. "We don't necessarily start up a conversation on offense or defense. We watch the entire game. I'm not the chatterbox at games."
Platooning and specialization are common in football programs at large schools. Tim Simon specializes in, well, everything.
The senior plays almost every snap of every game, alternating between wide receiver, safety, punter, kicker and punt returner. Notre Dame coach Michael Hennessey said Simon plays every snap on defense and about 80 percent of them on offense for the 7-1 Dons.
"Tim is a guy who never comes off the field," Notre Dame coach Michael Hennessey said. "There's barely a minute when he's not out there being a factor for his team. We can't do without him on either side of the ball."
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Simon is the second of Tom and Katy's three sons to play multiple positions for the Dons, following his older brother Thomas and his younger sibling Danny, a freshman.
"I'm encouraging my younger brother to get involved in as many positions as possible and be on the field as much as he can," Tim Simon said. "I'm pushing him more and more now that he's in high school with me, so he can hold up to the same standard as myself. I want him to do more than me."
Simon has caught 32 passes for for 632 yards and nine touchdowns this season, with 139 of those yards and three TDs in a Week 4 loss to Marist. On defense, he has 37 tackles and four interceptions. He has averaged 20.8 yards on 15 punt returns. Simon has also made five of his six field-goal attempts, with a long make of 40 yards.
Hennessey marvels at the ease with which Simon has handled his numerous responsibilites. The coach said there are only a few positions he won't let Simon play.
"I don't need to put him at guard or center, but I'm sure he could play them," Hennessey joked. "We haven't had to try him snap the ball and kick the ball at the same time. He may be capable of that. We haven't tried him at quarterback, but I'm sure he could."
Also a center fielder and pitcher for the Dons' baseball team, Simon has one more title he wants to add to his resume: East Suburban Catholic champion. The No. 19 Dons (7-1, 5-1) are tied with Joliet Catholic for first place. Notre Dame hosts 3-5 Carmel on Friday, with Joliet Catholic hosting 5-3 Marist. Neither Joliet Catholic nor Nazareth were on Notre Dame's schedule this season.
"We thought we lost a chance at the conference championship when we lost to Marist," Simon said. "But now that we have this chance and we're jumping on it. We've had a great week of practice and excited about the challenge."
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
