AT SAN JOSÉ STATE: In his fifth season with the Spartans... 36 games played and seven starts heading into the 2015 season... A safety in the defensive secondary and experienced special teams defender... Signed a National Letter-of-Intent in December 2010.
2014: Played in 11 games and got a starting call in the game at Navy (10/25)... Credited with 11 tackles for the season... One of three players on the team with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery during the season... Was the only player on the Spartans to get credit in both fumble categories in the same game... Forced fumble and fumble recovery and his season-high five tackles came at Auburn (9/6)... Credited with four tackles at Navy and two at San Diego State (11/29).
2013: Played in all 12 games and was a starter six times... Seventh on the team in total tackles with 45... Only defensive back on the team with 10 or more tackles in more than one game... Opened the season with his career high 10 stops in the 24-0 win over Sacramento State (8/29)... Matched that number in the Navy overtime contest (11/22)... Best game of the season may have been in the Hawai'i victory (10/5) with five tackles, one pass break-up, a fumble recovery and his first major college interception... One of six Spartans to block an opponent's kick-scoring attempt... Blocked a PAT try at Minnesota (9/21).
2012: Played in all 13 games... Mainly used on special teams and was a reserve safety... Was in on a tackle in six games... Had a season-high two solo tackles in the San Diego State victory (9/22).
2011: Completed a redshirt season.
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-year letterwinner at Santiago High (Coach Jeff Steinberg) in Corona, Calif. ... A two-time Big 8 League safety... Team captain in 2010 and first-team all-league pick... 64 tackles and three pass interceptions as a senior... Second-team all-league choice with 93 tackles as a junior... Invited to play in the Big 8 League's 2011 all-star football game.
MORE ON SIMON: A kinesiology major... Interested in an athletic training career... Brother, Brandon Connette, completed his college career in 2014 as a quarterback at Fresno State after playing three seasons (2011-13) at Duke... He is a native of Atlanta, Ga.
CAREER DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
G | UT | AT | TOTAL | TFL/YDS. | FF | FR | INT | DEF | |
2011...Redshirt | |||||||||
2012...FR | 13 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2013...SO | 12 | 31 | 14 | 45 | 2.5/8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
2014...JR | 11 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 0.5/1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
CAREER | 36 | 39 | 23 | 62 | 3.0/9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |