Eunice’s own Tharold Simon ready to shine in Super Bowl

Just ask Tharold Simon’s coaches at Eunice High School. They say it was only a matter of time before he reached it to the biggest stage in pro sports.

Super Bowl XLIX watchers expect Simon to put in some time as a defensive back for Seattle as the Seahawks face the New England Patriots Sunday night in Glendale, Arizona.

If he does play, Simon will be only the third player from St. Landry Parish to play in a Super Bowl. He joins New Orleans Saints receiver Devery Henderson — who played in Super Bowl XLIV — and Remi Prudhomme, who played on the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs team that won Super Bowl IV.

“To know where he came from, this is a great accomplishment for him,” said Eunice assistant coach Durell Peloquin, who coached Simon in high school from 2007 to 2009.

“He’s a special athlete. I saw it in junior high, it was man vs. boss out there sometimes. He just had that ‘it’ factor.”

Simon demonstrated that “it” factor not only in football, but in basketball. He was already over 6 feet, 3 inches tall, and his size and speed made him a threat on offense as a wide receiver and on defense as a defensive back.

As a Bobcat, Simon caught 29 passes for 671 yards and four touchdowns as a senior, even though he missed several games with a shoulder injury. He also had 13 interceptions during his high school career.

At LSU, Simon developed his skills as a cornerback. He played three seasons with the Tigers, where he honed his skills as a cover man and became one of the best defensive backs in the Southeastern Conference. In his junior season of 2012, Simon led the team in interceptions with four and pass breakups with nine.

Being able to practice against soon-to-be NFL receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry helped Simon to become a stronger d-back.

“(Going to LSU was) a great choice for him,” said Robert Trent, Simon’s position coach at Eunice. “He couldn’t have made a better decision. For him to be surrounded with great coaches and players, it got him to grow up some more.”

Simon left LSU for the NFL draft in 2013. The night before the draft, a Eunice police officer arrested him at a party and charged him with public intimidation, resisting arrest and unnecessary noise. One element of that intimidation, published reports at the time said, was Simon’s proclamation that “I own Eunice,” and predictions that then-Mayor Rusty Moody, a supporter, would fire the officer who issued the ticket.

The player was released from jail on $11,000 bond. The city canceled its planned celebration of Tharold Simon Day.

Simon apologized for the incident, and Seattle took him in the fifth round with the 138th pick.

“There are only 53 spots on every NFL roster, and to be one of those 53 is something special,” Peloquin said.

Trent recalled that Simon did not let the incident with the officer bother him. “I told (Tharold) to look at the positive side of things and that helped him a lot,” he said. “We all have to experience failure and that he still had a lot to learn and that kept him in a right place.”

Simon started five games this season after missing most of his rookie season with an injury. In the regular season, he had 13 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception against Philadelphia late in the season.

In the playoffs, Simon has five tackles and has played well in the Seahawks’ nickel and dime packages. Also helping his development is playing alongside one of the best at the position, Richard Sherman, who has been a good mentor for Simon.

“To have someone like Sherman and Kam Chancellor there, those guys are like another coach,” Trent said. “He talks with Sherman and he has picked him up and been something positive for him.”

Trent said he spoke with Simon this week before the big game and told him that a special moment could come his way.

“I told him that a fumble might come his way and whatever you can do, be ready,” he said.