By Don Williams | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
In Denton Simek’s family, orange and black run deep, but Simek has decided he wants to spend his college career wearing scarlet and black. The offensive lineman from Prague, Okla., which has a Class 2A high school, made an oral commitment Wednesday to Texas Tech.

Simek said he had scholarship offers from about 19 or 20 schools. Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Arizona were his other finalists, but he said Tech was his favorite because of the Red Raiders’ coaching staff and the campus atmosphere.

“I really liked it, and I like coach (Mike) Leach a lot,” he said. “He’s a heck of a coach. Their coaching staff is probably one of the top, if not the top, in the nation. I just like everything about Texas Tech.”

Simek (pronounced “Shimmek”) said he is 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds. He plays on both the offensive and defensive lines for his high school team, but projects as an offensive tackle for Tech. He was offered a scholarship by all the Big 12 Conference schools except Texas A&M, Texas and Oklahoma. Arkansas, Louisville, Duke and Vanderbilt were among the others that offered him, Simek said.

Simek said he grew up rooting for all the Oklahoma schools – and Tech, because he didn’t like the Aggies or the Longhorns.

His family ties are to Oklahoma State. Simek said his father had a scholarship there, his mother graduated from OSU and he has an older brother currently attending school there. He said that won’t be an obstacle when the time comes to sign with Tech.

“They’ll definitely let me come out there,” he said. “(My mother) she supports everything I do. My dad, he just wants me to be happy. They want me to be where I want to be.”

Simek was on Tech’s campus in late February for its junior day. That was a week after Leach signed a new five-year contract with Tech. Simek said he had concerns about Leach’s future with the Raiders and finally put those to rest during a telephone conversation with Leach on Wednesday.

“I was just really tired of everybody calling me and talking to me about (recruiting),” Simek said. “This is where I wanted to be all along. I was worried about coach Leach leaving. If it wasn’t for that, I would have committed a long time ago.”

In addition to playing varsity football since his freshman year, Simek qualified for Oklahoma’s state powerlifting meet two years in a row. He finished fourth last year in the Class 3A and under competition.

Oral commitments are non-binding. The national signing period for next spring’s graduates begins Feb. 3.

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