Gator Country

At 6-foot-3, Simeon Thomas was one of the tallest defensive backs to participate in Florida's Friday NIght Lights camp on July 27. / Gator Country photo by Mike Capshaw

Class of 2013 defensive back Simeon Thomas (Carol City/ Miami Gardens, Fla.) came into Friday Night Lights with a focused and aggressive mentality of getting the attention of the Florida football coaching staff.

And once the night ended, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior seemed to have accomplished his goal.

“Coach [Travaris] Robinson said he’ll be in contact with me,” Thomas said. “He liked the fact that I’m not like most sized defensive backs and that I’m a unique defensive back.”

“He said he wouldn’t expect me to turn my hips and run with guys faster than me, but I was able to stick a couple of slot guys. I kind of proved him wrong tonight and he told me that I proved him wrong,” Thomas added.

Consequently, Robinson told Thomas to give him a phone call when he returned home and there might be a scholarship offer for him in the future.

“He’s going to watch over my film with coach [Will] Muschamp,” Thomas said. “He mentioned there could be an offer on the table.”

Thomas acknowledged that a Florida offer, although late in his recruitment, would impact him greatly.

“If they do offer me, Florida would fit into my top five, especially since I run track & field, which is a bonus. I run the 200 meters and 400 meters.”

Currently, Thomas’ top five consists of Clemson, UCF, USF, Virginia Tech and Ole Miss.

Thomas wants to make a decision on Aug. 20, which is his mother’s birthday, but that doesn’t mean Florida has no shot.

“I like Florida’s rich tradition. I know a lot of people who go to Florida on the track team. The Florida coaches keep it real with you. They have brought me in like one of their own already,” Thomas said.

Thomas does still intend on taking all of his official visits despite his decision coming up in less than a month.

“My official visits are going to be to Clemson, Florida, Florida State, UCF and USF,” he said.

Here’s a clip of Thomas at Friday NIght Lights:

About the author

DrewLaing

Drew Laing is a junior at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. Before college, Drew lived in Lakeland, Fla., his entire life. He began in journalism during his senior year of high school and has continued studying it throughout college. In addition to his internship at Gator Country, he is the Editor-In-Chief of The Samford Crimson and a collegiate correspondent for USA Today. Drew enjoys the finer things in life like Tampa Bay Rays baseball and PB&J sandwiches.

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