sports_m-footbl_mtt_ken_simonton_2045 - Oregon State University Athletics

PERSONAL--Born 6/7/79 in Pittsburg, CA...son of Ken Simonton II and Beverly Simonton...his father is a refinery supervisor...Ken is in the College of Liberal Arts and is a liberal studies major...has four brothers and sisters, Benji, 28; Javaris, 25; Steven, 16; and Rosie, 13...his father played baseball for the Boston Red Sox...his brother Benji has played baseball in the San Francisco Giants' organization as an outfielder/first baseman for the past seven years...his cousin, Cy Simonton, played three years in the Seattle Mariners' organization as an outfielder...enjoys reading and fishing...Ken was one of 353 student-athletes across the nation selected to participate in the fourth annual NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference, which was held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports and Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, May 28 to June 1, 2000...the student-athletes chosen to participate represented all NCAA divisions, 22 different sports and more than 20 countries...selected OSU because, "of a chance to play early, faith in Mike Riley and OSU's graduation rate."

OSU—(2001—Senior)—All-American Ken Simonton is a STRONG candidate to win the Heisman Trophy in 2001…Ken has everything you look for in a great running back, speed, durability, elusiveness, soft hands, toughness and a great competitive desire...Ken has produced big numbers for Oregon State in three seasons…Ken currently holds 11 Oregon State career records, 11 season records, two game records and a Reser Stadium record…Ken rushed for 1,028 yards as a freshman in 1998, a school record...he is only the second player in Pac-10 history to rush for over 1,000 yards as a freshman…the only other player was Stanford’s Darrin Nelson in 1977…Ken rushed for 1,329 regular season yards in 1999, the most ever in the history of the Pac-10 by a sophomore…he rushed for a school record 1,559 yards as a junior…only five other players in Pac-10 history have rushed for over 1,000 yards in three seasons---Napoleon Kaufman, Washington, 1992-93-94; Russell White, California, 1990-91-92; Darrin Nelson, Stanford, 1977-78-79; Charles White, USC, 1977-78-79; and Anthony Davis, USC, 1972-73-74…Simonton has a chance to become the first player in history of the Pac-10 to rush for over 1,000 yards in four seasons…he has scored touchdowns in 25 of his 35 career games and has 18 multiple touchdown games…he currently ranks fifth in Pac-10 career rushing with 4,073 yards and ninth in Pac-10 career scoring with 312 points…Ken has started 34 of his 35 games in his OSU career, missing only a start against Washington State in 1999, his sophomore season, as he was coming off injured ribs vs. UCLA the week before…he served as a team captain as a junior and he will again this year as a senior…here is a look at what Simonton has accomplished to date:

OSU CAREER MARKS CURRENTLY HELD BY SIMONTON AFTER 35 GAMES
1—Rushing record—4,073 yards
2—Scoring record—312 points
3—All-Purpose yards with 4,450 yards
4—Number of 100-yard rushing games—21
5—Number of games scored touchdowns—25
6—Number of games scored multiple touchdowns—18
7—Most career rushing attempts—802
8—Most career all-purpose plays—854
9—Number of 1,000-yard seasons—3
10—Number of 200-yard rushing games—3
11—Most consecutive 100-yard rushing games—7 (1998-99)

OSU SEASON RECORDS HELD BY SIMONTON
1—Most yards rushing—1,559 (2000)
2—Most all-purpose yards—1,705 (1999)
3—Most rushing attempts—294 (1999)
4—Most all-purpose plays—315 (1999)
5—Most points scored—118 (1999)
6—Most rushing touchdowns—19 (1999)
7—Most yards rushing by freshman—1,028 (1998)
8—Most yards rushing by sophomore—1,486 (1999)
9—Most yards rushing by junior—1,559 (2000)
10—Most 100-yard rushing games—9 (1999)
11—Most consecutive 100-yard games—6 (1999)

OSU GAME RECORDS HELD BY SIMONTON
1—Most touchdowns scored—4 vs. Oregon (1998); vs. Georgia Southern (1999)
2—Most points scored—24 vs. Oregon (1998); vs. Georgia Southern (1999)

RESER STADIUM RECORDS HELD BY SIMONTON
1—Most yards rushing in game—234 vs. USC (2000)

NCAA RECORD
Ken Simonton can become only the fifth player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards or more in each of his four seasons of play. The four players who have already done so are:

Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, 1973-76
Amos Lawrence, North Carolina, 1977-80
Denvis Manns, New Mexico State, 1995-98
Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, 1996-99

PACIFIC-10 RECORD
Ken Simonton is the first player in Pacific-10 Conference history to rush for over 1,000 yards as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Simonton and Stanford’s Darrin Nelson (1997) are the only two players in Pac-10 history to rush for over 1,000 yards as a freshman. However, Nelson failed to rush for 1,000 yards or more as a junior. Simonton is one of six players in the history of the Pac-10 to rush for over 1,000 yards in three seasons. He has a chance as a senior in 2001 to become the first player in Pac-10 history to rush for over 1,000 yards in four seasons. The Pac-10 list of 1,000-yard rushers for three seasons follows:

Anthony Davis, USC, 1972-73-74
Charles White, USC, 1977-78-79
Darrin Nelson, Stanford, 1977-78-81
Russell White, California, 1990-91-92
Napoleon Kaufman, Washington, 1992-93-94
Ken Simonton, Oregon State, 1998-99-2000

PACIFIC-10 CONFERENCE CAREER RUSHING & SCORING LISTS
Ken Simonton stands in fifth place on the Pac-10 career-rushing list with 4,073 yards. His next target on the Pac-10 career list is No. 4, Washington’s Napoleon Kaufman. Kaufman gained 4,106 yards, and Simonton needs 34 yards to move ahead of him. Simonton needs 97 to pass Stanford’s Darrin Nelson (4,169). Ken has scored 312 career points and has moved into ninth place on the Pac-10 all-time scoring list. The Pac-10’s all-time scoring leader is John Lee, UCLA, with 390 points. Ken needs only 79 points to top that figure. Ken has averaged 104 points a season through his first three campaigns. A look at the career rushing and scoring charts follow with what Ken needs to pass is in parenthesis:

Ken Simonton

	Class: RS Senior
	Hometown: Pittsburg, Calif.
	High School: Pittsburg High School

	Height / Weight: 5-8 / 191
	Position: Tailback
	Birthdate: 06/07/1979
	Experience: 3V

CAREER RUSHING
1—Charles White, USC (1976-79)	6,245	(2,173)
2—Marcus Allen, USC (1978-81)	4,810	(738)
3—Darrin Nelson, Stanford (1977-81)	4,169	(97)
4—Napoleon Kaufman, Washington (1991-94)	4,106	(34)
5—Ken Simonton, OSU (1998—present)	4,073
?
CAREER SCORING
1—John Lee, UCLA (1982-85)	390	(79)
6—Charles White, USC (1976-79)	320	(9)
7—Quin Rodriguez, USC (1987-90)	317	(6)
8—Anthony Davis, USC (1972-74)	314	(3)
9—Ken Simonton, OSU (1998-present)	312

OREGON STATE’S TOP 10 SINGLE-GAME RUSHING MARKS:
Ken Simonton has produced five of Oregon State’s top 10 individual game rushing efforts. The OSU top 10 single-game rushing marks follow:

Player	Opp/Year	TCB	YG	YL	NYG	AVG.	TD
1—Bill Enyart	Utah-'68	50	299	0	299	5.98	3
2—Ken Simonton	USC-'00	37	246	12	234	6.32	3
3—Dave Mann	Utah-'51	11	233	0	233	21.18	2
4—Pete Pifer	Ariz.-'66	34	229	1	228	6.71	3
5—Roger Smith	WSU''71	45	210	0	210	4.67	2
6—Ken Simonton	Stan.-'98	35	207	0	207	5.91	2
7—Tim Alexander	N.Ill.-'96	12	205	0	205	17.10	2
8—Ken Simonton	EWU-'00	40	207	7	200	5.00	3
9—Ken Simonton	Nev.-'99	35	200	1	199	5.69	2
10-Ken Simonton	UNM-'00	30	186	2	184	6.13	2
Ken Carpenter	WSU-'49	18	190	6	184	10.22	2

2000 SEASON HONORS
1—Named Pacific-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week following OSU’s victory over USC (9/30)
2—Selected as semifinalist for Football News Offensive Player of the Year Award
3—Selected as one of eight semifinalist for Doak Walker Award
4—Selected first team All-Pacific-10 Conference (unanimous)
5—Selected first team All-American by American Football Coaches Association
6—Selected second team All-American by The Football News
7—Selected first team All-Pacific-10 Conference by The Football News
8—Selected Player of the Year in the Pacific-10 Conference by The Football News
9—Selected second team All-American by College football News
10—Selected Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year by College Football News
11—Selected first team All-Pacific-10 Conference by College Football News
12—Selected second team All-American by The Sporting News
13—One of 15 finalists for Associated Press Player of the Year Award
14—Selected second team All-American by Gannett News Service
15—Selected first team All-American by Rivals.Com
16—Selected honorable mention All-American by CNNSI.com
17—Selected second team All-American by Walter Camp
18—Finished ninth on Heisman Trophy Ballot
19—Selected second team All-American by Associated Press
20—Selected second team All-American by College and Pro Football Newsweekly

SIMONTON PRESEASON HONORS IN 2000
1--Named second team All-America by Athlon Magazine
2--Named first team All-Pac-10 by Athlon Magazine
3--Named second team All-America by Street & Smith Magazine
4--Named second team All-America by Football News
5--Named first team All-Pac-10 by Street & Smith Magazine
6--Listed as Heisman Trophy Candidate by Street & Smith Magazine
7--Listed as Doak Walker Award Candidate by Street & Smith Magazine
8--Named first team All-Pac-10 by Lindy’s Magazine
9--Rated as the 13th best running back in nation by Lindy’s Magazine
10--Rated as the seventh best running back in nation by The Sporting News
11--Named first team All-Pac-10 by The Sporting News
12--Rated as one of the top six running backs in the nation by Playboy Magazine

(2000--Junior)

Rushed for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns vs. Eastern Washington, the seventh best single-game mark in OSU history. In the process he broke the OSU career rushing record of 2,552 yards by Dave Schilling with his first 39 yards.

Rushed for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns vs.New Mexico for the ninth best single-game mark in OSU history. It was his 14th multiple touchdown game and 15th 100-yard plus rushing game.

Rushed for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns vs. USC. It was the second best single-game rushing mark in OSU history and the second most yards rushed by an individual vs. USC. It was the eighth best all-purpose game in OSU history.

Rushed for 104 yards vs. Washington for his 17th 100-yard rushing game.

Rushed for 100 yards vs. UCLA for his 18th 100-yard rushing game.

Rushed for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns vs. Washington State, which ranks 19th on OSU’s single-game game list. He had 181 all-purpose yards. He had runs of 53 and 42 yards.

Rushed for 113 yards vs. Oregon and had a 25-yard run.

Rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries vs. Notre Dame in Fiesta Bowl.

(1999--Sophomore)

OSU record for rushing as a sophomore (1999) with 1,486 yards.

OSU record for points scored in a season with 118

OSU record for all-purpose yards in a season with 1,705.

OSU career record for scoring with 196 points.

Ranked second in the Pac-10 in rushing with 120.82 yards per game and 13th in the nation

Ranked 10th in the Pac-10 in total offense with 120.82 yards per game.

Ranked fourth in the Pac-10 and 26th in the nation in all-purpose yards with 138.45 average per game.

Ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 and eighth in the nation in scoring with 9.64 points per game.

Rushed for over 100 yards in nine games, an OSU record.

Rushed for 100 yards seven games in a row, an OSU record.

Scored four touchdowns against Georgia Southern to match an OSU record (a record he already had tied).

Opened the season by rushing for 199 yards vs. Nevada, the seventh best single-game mark in OSU history.

He has rushed for the fifth best (207); seventh best (199); 11th best (180); 12th best (178); 25th best (157 twice) and 35th best (149) single-game marks in OSU history.

He has produced the 13th best (216) and 18th best (207) all-purpose games in OSU history.

Selected second team All-Pac-10 Conference.

Selected honorable mention All-American by The Football News.

Selected Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week following OSU’s 46-23 victory over Fresno State, a game in which he rushed for 178 yards, scored 2 touchdowns and had 200 all-purpose yards.

Selected first team All-Pac-10 by Seattle Post Intelligencer and The Football News.

Selected as OSU’s Most Valuable Player in the Oahu Bowl after rushing for 157 yards, scoring 2 touchdowns and having 182 all-purpose yards.

(1998—Freshman)

OSU record for rushing as a freshman with 1,028 yards.

Four 100-yard rushing games.

First back in OSU history to rush for over 100 yards in his first game, 121 vs. Nevada

First back in OSU history to rush for over 100 yards in his first two games, 121 vs. Nevada and 103 vs. Baylor.

Rushed for four touchdowns against Oregon to tie OSU and Stadium records.

Named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week following OSU’s win over Oregon, 44-41 in double overtime

Named to The Football News Freshman All-America team.

Rushed for 207 yards vs. Stanford, the fifth best single-game mark in OSU history.

Rushed for 157 yards vs. Oregon, the 22nd best single-game rushing mark in OSU history.

Scored 78 points to ranked fourth on OSU’s all-time season scoring list and fourth in the Pac-10.

Produced 1,172 all-purpose yards to ranked 10th on OSU’s all-time single-season list. He ranked 11th in Pac-10

Ranked fourth in Pac-10 in rushing with 93.45 yards per carry and 41st in the nation.

Ranked 15th in the Pac-10 in total offense with 93.45 yards per game.

(2000-Junior) Ken served as one of OSU’s captains during the 2000 season…Ken entered his junior season as the premier tailback in the Pac-10 Conference, having already established conference records for the most yards rushing in a season by a freshman and by a sophomore...at the conclusion of the 2000 season, ...injured ribs prevented him from starting at Washington State (10/30/99)...Ken also established several OSU season records in 1999 as a sophomore...he set records for most yards rushing 1,486; most points scored, 118; and most season all-purpose yards, 1,705...Ken rushed for over 100 yards in each of his first two starts in 1998 and he surpassed that effort in 1999 by rushing for over 100 yards in the first six games played and nine all total...Ken’s 1,028 yards rushing in 1998 ranked him sixth on OSU’s single-season list at the time, when he became the Beavers’ first-ever freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards, and only the second freshman in Pac-10 history to do so...his 1,028 yards rushing as a freshman is the most ever by a freshman in Pac-10 history...his 78 points in 1998 ranked sixth in OSU’s single-season list at the time and his 1,172 all-purpose yards in 1998 ranked 11th on the Beavers’ single-season list at the time...he became the first freshman in 1998 to ever rush for over 100 yards in his first game for OSU and also the first freshman to rush for over 100 yards in back-to-back games to open a season....Ken was selected first team All-American by The Football News after his freshman year and second-team All-Pacific-10 after his sophomore year...he was also selected first team All-Pacific-10 Conference by the Football News and honorable mention All-American by the Football News...he was selected first team All-Pacific-10 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer...he was selected the MVP for Oregon State in the Oahu Bowl Game vs. Hawaii and he was selected the Pac-10 offensive Player of the Week following the Fresno State (9/11/99) game...he became the most prolific running back as a sophomore in Pac-10 history with 1,486 yards in 1999, one year after becoming the most prolific running back as a freshman in Pac-10 history with 1,028 yards...Ken had another outstanding spring in 2000 and was very impressive...Ken’s work load was held down during the 2000 spring drills...he carried the ball 9 times for a team-high 75 yards in the first scrimmage...he carried the ball 12 times for 51 yards and a touchdown in scrimmage No. 2...he had 51 yards on 16 carries in the third scrimmage, plus he caught 3 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown...in the Spring Game, Ken played for the Black squad (White team won 26-10) and led the Black squad in rushing with 61 yards on 14 carries...Ken posted weightlifting bests of 425 in the back squat, 285 in the bench press and 253 in the power clean during winter conditioning…he accomplished the following during the 2000 season…(Eastern Washington)---Ken got his junior season off to a fantastic start, rushing for 200 yards on a career high 40 carries against Eastern Washington…he scored all three Beaver touchdowns, increasing his career scoring record to 214…his 200-yard rushing game was the eighth best single-game mark in OSU history and his second highest career game…he had a long un of 24 yards. (New Mexico)--Ken had a fantastic game at New Mexico, rushing for 184 yards and scoring two touchdowns, including a 43-yarder with 1:12 left on a fourth and one play to ice the contest at 28-20 for OSU…his 184 yards matches the 10th best single-game mark in OSU history…the game was his 14th multiple touchdown game of his career and 15th 100-yard plus rushing game. (San Diego State)--Ken rushed for 91 yards on 18 carries and scored two touchdowns against San Diego State and did not play after the first series of the second half as OSU had a comfortable lead. (USC)--Ken had the biggest game of his career to date against USC…he rushed for 234 yards and three touchdowns vs. the Trojans, including the game-clinching 36-yard run with 1:18 to play…the 234 yards is the second highest rushing total by an individual in OSU history, topped only by 299 by Bill Enyart…it was also the second most yards ever rushed by an individual against USC…only Curtis Enis of Penn State in 1996 with 241 ever rushed for more yards against USC…Ken also tied Tim Alexander for the eighth best OSU all-purpose running game with 234 yards. (Washington)--Ken rushed for 104 yards on 23 carries against Washington…it was his 17th 100-yard rushing game at OSU. (Stanford)--Ken rushed for 81 yards on 14 carries and did not play past the midway point of the third quarter in OSU’s 38-6 victory over Stanford…he had a long run of 24 yards. (UCLA)--Ken rushed for 100 yards on 24 carries vs. UCLA, the 18th time he has topped the century mark in a game…he had a long run of 20 yards. (WSU)--Ken rushed for 169 yards, which ranks 19th on OSU single-season list against WSU, scoring two touchdowns and a 2-point PAT…he had runs of 53 and 42 yards vs. the Cougars…he had 181 all-purpose yards…with 1,163 yards rushing this season, he ranks third on OSU’s single-season list…his 80 points scored ties him for fourth place on the single-season scoring list. (Cal)--Ken rushed for 125 yards and 3 touchdowns vs. California…it was the fifth time he has scored 3 or more touchdowns in a game…he had a career long 64-yard run vs. California. (Arizona)--Ken rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown vs. Arizona and scored a touchdown on a 21-yard run and had a 25-yard run…he caught 2 passes for 6 yards, giving him 79 all-purpose yards on 21 plays. (Oregon)--Ken rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown vs. Oregon on a 20-yard run…he also had a 25 yard run…(Notre Dame)—Ken rushed for 85 yards on 18 carries and scored a touchdown in the Fiesta Bowl…

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT SIMONTON---(The following comments were made about Simonton during the 2000 season.)

“Ken Simonton is a definite Heisman Trophy candidate.” Eastern Washington coach Paul Wulff

“He is just an outstanding back. We were stacking guys at the line of scrimmage, and every once in a while, the Beavers had a good running back (Simonton) that makes a guy miss, and that ends up being big gains.” New Mexico coach Rocky Long.

“He’s obviously a great running back. Our scheme should stop anybody; at least it has the potential to do it. But if we have a letdown, he could get 300 yards against us (Simonton rushed for 184).” New Mexico linebacker Mike Barnett.

“You are not going to completely stop a back like him.” New Mexico coach Rocky Long.

“He’s always going to the goal line. He’s always going downhill, always seeking the soft spot.” San Diego State coach Ted Tollner.

“He is one of the best that we will play against.” USC coach Paul Hackett.

“He’s the guts of this football team. The things he does are unbelievable for his size. He doesn’t have all out burning speed, but you couldn’t tell him that on the final play against USC.” OSU running backs coach Dan Cozzetto.

“He’s such a tremendous person, one of the best and most true persons I’ve been around.” OSU running backs coach Dan Cozzetto.

“There are certainly a lot of good ones (running backs) out there, but right now, all his numbers would lead you to believe that there is not a better one around.” Washington coach Rick Neuheisel. “He’s just got tremendous vision. He’s got great explosion. When he sees a hole or opening, he has tremendous explosion. He’s got great lower-body strength. He breaks a lot of tackles with his legs. He’s an extremely tough guy.” Oregon State coach Dennis Erickson.

“He possesses that gift of knowing how to get into the end zone. He hasn’t gained all his yards by being average.” OSU running backs coach Dan Cozzetto.

“He makes the right decisions on where to go. He seldom runs into anybody. He has good speed, but it’s his ability to make the right decision that he really has going for him.” Washington defensive coordinator Tim Hundley.

“He is the most underrated player in college football.” Tom Ramsey, Fox Sports Net announcer

“I would say that Ken Simonton is the top offensive player in the Pac-10 right now.” California coach Tom Holmoe.

“Ken Simonton is the best running back in the Pac-10, and one of the best in the nation.” UCLA coach Bob Toledo.

“I think he’s a tremendous player. I thought he was before. He just showed his speed on that first run he made. We didn’t have a pursuit angle, and he outran just about everybody on the field.” WSU coach Mike Price.

“I just hope he never runs out of eligibility—maybe go another couple, three years. What can I say” he must amazes you every time he goes out and plays. He’s a great back, he’s one of the best in football right now.” Dennis Erickson.

“Ken Simonton is the best offensive player in the Pac-10, without a doubt.” California coach Tom Holmoe.

“Simonton…man…is he explosive. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Andre Carter, California All-American defensive end.

(1999-Sophomore)- As a sophomore in 1999, Ken broke the OSU record for career scoring (196 points)...he needed 39 rushing yards to become the Beavers’ career rushing leader, passing Dave Schilling, who had 2,552 yards...Ken became OSU’s single-season rushing record holder with 1,486 yards...he became OSU’s season scoring record holder with 118 points...he became OSU’s single-season all-purpose running record holder with 1,705 yards...at the end of the season he ranked fifth in career all-purpose running and needed 1,027 yards to become the career leader...Ken finished second in the Pac-10 in rushing, first in scoring and fourth in all-purpose yards....he ranked 13th in the NCAA in rushing during the regular season with 120.8 yards per game...he ranked eighth nationally in scoring with 9.64 average...ranked 26th nationally in all-purpose running with 138.45 yards per game average...he had a streak of scoring a touchdown in seven straight games stopped at Stanford...he scored 24 touchdowns in his first 14 games...he had his streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games halted vs. UCLA after suffering a first quarter rib injury...(Season Notes)--Ken set an OSU single-season scoring record with 118 points, single-season rushing record with 1,486 yards and all-purpose running mark with 1,705 yards...he was named second team All-Pac-10; first team All-Pac-10 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer; first team All-Pac-10 by the Football News; honorable mention All-American by the Football News and he was selected OSU’s MVP of the Oahu Bowl vs. Hawaii. (Nevada)--Ken rushed for 199 yards, scored three touchdowns and had 216 yards in all-purpose yardage...his 199 yards rushing was the second highest of his career at the time, topped only by 207 vs. Stanford in 1998...his 216 all-purpose yards was a personal best, topping his previous high of 207 yards vs. Stanford in 1998...his 199 yards rushing was the seventh best single-season rushing mark in OSU history at the time...his 216 yards in all-purpose yards in the 13th best single-game mark in Beaver history...his 35 carries vs. Nevada matched his career high of 35 vs. Stanford last year...had long run of 36 yards. (Fresno State)--Ken rushed for 178 yards on 31 carries against the Bulldogs, his third straight game over 100 yards...had 200 all-purpose yards...the 178 yards rushing is the 11th best single-game effort in OSU history...he was named Pac-10 Conference offensive Player of the Week following the Fresno State game...scored nine touchdowns in a three-game stretch (Fresno State, Nevada and Oregon from 1998)...rushed for 534 yards and 9 touchdowns in those three games, an average of 178 yards per game...had long run of 31 yards. (Georgia Southern)--Ken rushed for 180 yards on 32 carries and scored 4 touchdowns...the 180 yards rushing is the 11th best single-game mark in OSU history at the time and the 4 touchdowns tied his own school record for TDs in a game...had 183 all-purpose yards...long run of 29 yards. (USC)--Ken established a Beaver record by rushing for over 100 yards in five straight games...rushed for 127 yards and 1 touchdown vs. USC and caught 2 passes for 10 yards, giving him 137 all-purpose yards on 31 plays. (Washington)--Ken rushed for 106 yards, his sixth straight 100-yard game, scored 2 touchdowns and caught 2 passes for 1 yard, giving him 107 all-purpose yards. (Stanford)--Ken rushed for 115 yards on 32 carries against Stanford, an average of 3.6 yards per carry...he also caught 3 passes for 13 yards, giving him 128 all-purpose yards...his long run was 17 yards. (UCLA)--It took an injury to do what no other team had been able to do in 1999, stop Ken from rushing for 100 yards in a game...he rushed for 37 yards on 8 first quarter carries and added 39 yards on 2 pass receptions. (WSU)--Ken entered the game for the first time midway through the third quarter and rallied the Beavers to a convincing 27-13 victory over the Cougars...he carried the ball 9 times for 41 yards and caught a pass for 23 yards...he scored two touchdowns. (California)--Ken carried the ball 31 times for 134 yards vs. California, including a long run of 37 yards...he caught a pass for 30 yards, giving him 164 all-purpose yards on 32 plays...he scored on a 2-point PAT. (Arizona)--Ken rushed for 149 yards on 21 carries, an average of 7.1 yards...had runs of 46, 37 and 27 yards...his runs of 46 and 37 yards set up short touchdowns. (Oregon)--Ken was held to 63 yards rushing and to 99 all-purpose yards...it was the first time this season he was held below 100 yards rushing when he was not injured...he scored all 14 points vs. Oregon to become the Beavers’ single-season scoring leader with 106 points. (Hawaii)--Ken rushed for 157 yards, matching the 25th best individual game mark in OSU history at the time...scored 2 touchdowns and had 182 all-purpose yards...had runs of 30 and 43 yards...(Career Notes following 1999 season)--Ken was selected first team All-American by The Football News after his freshman year and second-team All-Pacific-10 after his sophomore year...he became the most prolific running back as a sophomore in Pac-10 history with 1,486 yards...Ken had a sensational spring practice in 1999...before spring drills, Ken gave baseball a shot and had one plate appearance with the OSU baseball team, striking out...after two years away from the game of baseball, Ken felt he was better served by returning to football...in OSU’s three major scrimmages, Ken gained 48 yards on 10 carries at Roseburg on April 17...followed with 50 yards on 13 carries and he caught 1 pass for 7 yards at the Prothro Field scrimmage on April 24...in the final spring game at Hillsboro on May 1, Ken was superb...rushed for 93 yards on 21 carries and caught 2 passes for 35 yards, including a 30-yarder from Jonathan Smith for the White squad...in the weight room, Ken produced personal bests of 195 pounds in the hang clean, 250 in the bench press, 375 in the back squat and 220 in the incline...his best vertical jump was 31.00 inches and he tested for only 6.26 percent body fat.

(1998-Redshirt Freshman)--Ken was given the clearance to go full speed ahead with the winter conditioning program as his shoulder had regained the needed strength to play football...he spent the 1997 season as a redshirt after recovering from shoulder (left) surgery from being injured in high school…he entered spring drills as somewhat of an unknown quantity to OSU fans, but not to Coach Mike Riley, who had seen him play for three years in high school...in fact, Riley felt Simonton, if heaalthy, would have played and contended for a starting spot as a freshman in 1997...Ken made a big impact during spring drills and established himself as a solid tailback...he had his best performance of the spring in the final spring game when he rushed for 90 yards on 13 carries...had 34 yards on 9 carries in the first scrimmage and 15 yards on 12 carries in the second scrimmage...reported to fall camp as OSU’s No. 2 tailback...had a fantastic fall camp and moved into the No. 1 tailback position...Jason Dandridge, who was listed ahead of Ken on the depth chart entering the season, was suspended for the first game (against Nevada) for disciplinary reasons…as happens so many times in athletics, given the opportunity, Ken took it and ran with it and never gave up his starting position and had a record breaking year...Ken’s brilliant play in 1998 was rewarded by being named to the Football News’ first team Freshman All-America team...Ken saved the his best for last in the 1998 season...Ken rushed for 157 yards against Oregon (11/21) to go over the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season, becoming only the fourth player in OSU history to do so and marking only the fifth time in Beaver history a back has rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season... Bill Enyart, Pete Pifer (twice) and Dave Schilling are the only other Beaver backs in history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season...Schilling was the last to do so in 1970....Ken’s 157 yards matched the 22nd best single-game rushing mark in OSU history at the time, plus he rushed for four touchdowns, which equaled the OSU and Reser Stadium record for touchdowns scored in one game...Ken was named the Pacific-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week following the Oregon game...it was the fourth time in the 1998 season that Ken topped the 100-yard mark in a game...Ken rushed for 43 yards on 15 carries against UCLA (11/7)...Ken rushed for 94 yards vs. California (10/31) and had 110 yards in all-purpose running... Ken rushed for 57 yards at Washington (10/24) on 17 carries and had 98 all-purpose yards...(Arizona 10/17) Ken was held to his second lowest running total of the season, rushing for 36 yards on 16 carries...Ken had the best day of his young OSU career at Stanford (10/10)...rushed for a then career high 207 yards on 35 carries, including two touchdowns…he had runs of 49 and 27 yards...his 27-yard run in the fourth quarter gave the Beavers a first down that iced the contest for OSU...Stanford had called its last time out with 2:02 remaining in the game prior to Ken’s run on second and 11...his 207 yards rushing was the fifth best single-game effort in OSU history at the time and he became only the sixth back in Beaver history to rush for over 200 yards, and only the third OSU player to rush for over 200 yards vs. a Pac-10 opponent...his 207 all-purpose yards wass the 13th best single-game mark in OSU history at the time...Ken missed his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season as he came up one yard short with 99 at Utah State (10/3)...Ken was held to 78 yards rushing at USC (9/19) to stop his streak of two-straight 100-yard plus rushing games...Ken was held to a season low 33 yards rushing at Arizona State (9/26)...Ken, a redshirt freshman, rushed for over 100 yards in each of his first two starts, 121 vs. Nevada (9/5) and 103 against Baylor (9/12). (Season notes) Ken scored two touchdown in each of his first two starts, and two against Stanford and Washington, plus one vs. UCLA and four vs. Oregon to give him 78 points on the season, which ranked second on the team behind Jose Cortez (80)...Ken’s 78 points ranked him fourth on OSU’s all-time single season scoring list, and eighth among Pac-10 scoring leaders...his 1,172 all-purpose yards was the 10th best single-season total in OSU history and his 106.6 all-purpose yards per game ranked 11th in the Pac-10...Ken became the first freshman to ever rush for over 100 yards in his first game at OSU and the first freshman to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games...Ken finished fourth in the Pac-10 in rushing with an average of 93.5 yards per game, trailing Arizona’s Trung Canidate (110.9), USC’s Chad Morton (96.7), and WSU’s Kevin Brown (95.1)...Ken ranked 10th in the Pac-10 in all-purpose running with 106.5 yards per game...Ken was fourth in scoring in the Pac-10 with touchdowns only with 78 points and 7.1 average per game...Ken ranked 15th in the Pac-10 in total offense with 93.45 yards per game...Ken ranked 41st in the nation in rushing...named co-winner of OSU’s Rookie of the Year award with Jonathan Smith for 1998.

(1997-Freshman)--Ken spent the 1997 season as a redshirt after recovering from shoulder (left) surgery from being injured in high school...his shoulder was never strong enough during the season to allow contact.

PITTSBURG HIGH SCHOOL-- (1993-96)--Ken won many honors as a two-sport (football and baseball) star for the Pittsburg High School Pirates...in the preseason (1995) he was listed honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith Magazine...he was listed #93 on SuperPrep Magazine's All-Far West Team...following his senior year he was named honorable mention All-American by USA Today and first-team all-state in California...was a three-time all-league (Bay Valley Athletic League) selection as a running back and he was named all-league as a defensive back also his senior year...was a first-team All-Northern California selection, a first-team all-region selection by the Contra Costa Times and was named Offensive Player of the Year in the region by Sports Focus...played in a post season football all-star game in the summer of 1997...he was an outfielder in baseball and was all-league as a sophomore, junior and senior…runs the 40 in 4.42...as a senior, Ken rushed for 960 yards on 92 carries (10.4 average) and he scored 23 touchdowns...caught 8 passes for 207 yards (25.9 average per kick) and 1 touchdown...averaged over 28 yards on kickoff returns for the Pirates...played his prep football for Coach Thomas Whiting his senior year...was recruited by USC, Washington, Colorado, UNLV and California, in addition to OSU...was listed in Parade Magazine in 1996 as one of the top 100 college baseball prospects in the nation...as a sophomore, Ken rushed for 1,135 yards in 10 games on 105 carries for an average of 10.8 yards per carry...scored 10 touchdowns and had a long run of 86 yards...Ken rushed for 785 yards in eight games as a junior on 47 carries for an average of 16.7 yards per carry...rushed for 14 touchdowns...his best game as a sophomore was against Monte Vista when he rushed for 210 yards on 10 carries and scored 3 touchdowns...his top game as a junior was also against Monte Vista when he rushed for 212 yards on 11 carries and scored 2 touchdowns...accounted for 264 all-purpose yards against De La Salle High School as a sophomore...his coach, Thomas Whiting, said, "Ken is a great competitor, an outstanding leader and a real team player. He has great acceleration and catches the football very well."

Ken Simonton's Career Statistics

Year	GP	Car.	Yds	TD	Long
2000	12	284	1559	19	64
1999	12	294	1486	19	46
1998	11	224	1028	13	49
Total	35	802	4073	51	64