Farm Boy to Super Bowl, Kansas Kid Plays Key Role in Bengals Run
U.S. Farm Report 02/12/22 - From the Farm
Darrin Simmons isn’t your typical Kansas farm kid. Growing up in extreme southwest Kansas, the farm field is where his roots were planted growing up, and where those roots are still firm today. And while he's conquering his NFL coaching dreams in Cincinnati, he says he still actively farms when he’s not on the football field.
“I grew up on a family farm in Elkhart, Kan., in the very southwest corner of the state,” says Simmons, who is Super Bowl-bound as the Cincinnati Bengals special teams coordinator and assistant coach.
An all-star kicker, he went to a community college after high school, before becoming part of the University of Kansas football team as their kicker. It was there Simmons met his wife, a KU cheerleader, who is also a Kansas farm kid.
“My wife is from right outside of Dodge City, Kan., and she also grew up on a farm family farm out there. I love taking our kids back there,” he says.
Today it’s the farm field where he finds peace. Simmons says he escapes the grind of football by returning back to the family farm every summer. And it’s his dad who was a farmer for more than 50 years, that cultivated a family legacy still planted today.
“We get done with all of our offseason work around the second week of June, and the day we get done, I hop on a flight and fly right in Amarillo, Texas, and make the two-and-a-half-hour trek to Elkhart. The next day I’m on the combine.”
Simmons isn’t a spectator in the sport of farming when he returns home every June. He jumps on a combine and helps with wheat harvest, just days after finishing the demands of the job in the offseason.
“We'll spend that next two weeks cutting wheat,” he says. “It's what I grew up doing, and it's what I still know. It's a great release for me to get rid of the rigors of football.”
A Dream Come True
From the farm field to the football field, Simmons’ versatility and grit is something that came from growing up on the farm.
“This is my 24th year in the NFL, and this is my first time getting to this point. Actually, we've been in the playoffs a bunch here in Cincinnati, we just had to get past the first round.”
The Bengals beat the Raiders, going on to beat the Tennessee Titans, ranked first in the division, with a 52-yard field goal kick. Then the next week, the Bengals had a repeat performance, beating the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime, and it was the kick that was the game winner once again.
“There are a lot of Chiefs fans back there in Elkhart and in the Midwest. So it's a big deal for me to be able to go back home essentially to get that win. The preparation of this week in the Super Bowl has been a dream come true for me,” he says.
He says he’s relishing an accomplishment, that for him, was 24 yeas in the making. And as the special teams coordinator, he played a key role in drafting the Bengals kicker who’s become a hero this season.
“It’s been something I’ve been very proud of,” says Simmons. “We took a chance by drafting him in the fifth round. He's been everything that we thought he would be and then some of course. He really is a cool customer in tough situations, which is difficult usually from a rookie player.”
The Bengals coach says the exuberance of the Super Bowl-bound team boasts a chemistry that has created a team worthy of the national spotlight. And it’s that spotlight he’s also relishing, as he stays grounded as the Bengals head to the big show for the first time since 1988.
“I certainly feel all the love and the respect that's come from all this,” he says. “It's just been very surreal to think about where we came from and where we are now. It's a pretty cool feeling, and it will hopefully sink in more on Monday or Tuesday after we're hoisting that trophy.”
Hometown Support
Savoring the moment, this weekend is bittersweet. Simmons’ dad, a farmer for more than 50 years and steady hand and mind on the farm, passed away just six months ago. Simmons says one of his most cherished milestones in life was when he was able to purchase a Case IH combine for his father, further proof the farm is still engrained in everything Simmons does today.
While he misses his dad during the Super Bowl run this week, Simmons says he can feel his dad’s presence this week, as his mom, brother, wife and kids will also be at the game cheering him on.
“I know where my roots are, and that's still a super important part of my life,” says Simmons.
The town of Elkhart, Kan., will be cheering Simmons on. His hometown is hosting a big watch party on Sunday. They even held a pep rally for the Simmons family in advance of the big game.
It's proof the Simmons family is still a strong part of the Elkhart community. A farm kid turned football phenomenon from southwest Kansas, Simmons says he cherishes the family time he spends on the farm during wheat harvest every year. As the Bengals coach balances family and the farm, he’s relishing the fact his career dreams are coming to fruition this weekend for Super Bowl LVI.
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