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          On The Trail

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          UA jersey tour: Shane Simmons

          • Gerry Hamilton, ESPN Staff WriterSep 11, 2015, 12:42 AM
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            • National recruiting analyst
            • More than a decade covering recruiting, nationally and in Texas
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          WATCH: Shane Simmons UA jersey presentation

          HYATTSVILLE, Md. -- Shane Simmons was one of three players at DeMatha Catholic presented with an Under Armour All America jersey on Thursday afternoon, in a ceremony attended by friends and family.

          The 6-foot-4, 227-pound defensive end and No. 13-ranked prospect in the ESPN 300 feels a sense of accomplishment with a goal met, but sees Thursday’s honor as just as meaningful for DeMatha Catholic head coach Elijah Brooks.

          “It’s great,” said Simmons. “For Coach Brooks to bring a 2016 class that was his first class, three of us made it to the Under Armour All-America Game. That’s great for him, and my school too. I worked hard to be an All-American, and it’s a huge accomplishment for me.”

          DeMatha Catholic has long been considered one of the top basketball producers in the country. With three Under Armour All-America Game selections in the class, Simmons believes this confirms what the football program has become.

          “We are very good at basketball, but we are good at football too. It shows that we aren’t only a basketball school, but a football school that can put out highly ranked football players too,”

          The No. 4-ranked defensive end in the class committed to Penn State on July 30, 2014 over more than 25 of the nation’s top programs. A year later, the reasons for selecting the Nittany Lions continue to ring true.

          “It’s feels like home to me,” Simmons said. “I feel that myself and some of the other players in the class are very comfortable with the coaches. They don’t tell what I want to hear, but what I need to know.”