February 10, 2012
ESKS.com
By Rose Mary Phillip
Fun. Hungry. Hard working. That’s how Simeon Rottier‘s wife Jenn describes the six-foot-six, 295-pound offensive guard. She also says he has some pretty sweet dance moves (watch out Victor Cruz). Rottier was one of this year’s most sought-after free agents – not bad for a farm kid who didn’t start playing football until after high school.
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| The name of Rottier’s five-month-old son Townes is loosely based on the Town Shoe Store. |
How did he do it? Let’s start at the beginning.
Rottier grew up on a dairy farm north of Westlock. “I love the area and enjoy farm life,” he says. Summers were spent milking cows, making silage (the stuff cows eat) and cleaning up cow pies. “My favorite part of growing up was when the cows were having babies. Getting out there to help dad deliver and seeing new life is pretty sweet to see,” he says.
Rottier dreamed of playing football but his high school didn’t have a team. Instead, he played volleyball and basketball, earning college scholarships in both. He said no thank you. “I was frustrated after a basketball season where we under-achieved a bit. I kept getting fouled-out. I needed something a little more physical and wanted a new challenge,” says Rottier.
He played football with his dad and brothers on the farm from time-to-time but had no experience with an organized team – with the exception of a handful of training sessions during his senior year. That didn’t stop him from chasing his dream.
After high school graduation, he tried out for the Edmonton Huskies and made the team. It was not a fairy tale beginning. Rottier spent the first two and half years on the bench “pretty much learning in practice,” he says. “We won a couple of championships in my last two years. There were some pretty great players on that team.”
At 19-years-old, he went on a six-month mission trip to Hawaii and Fiji. When he returned, Rottier wasn’t sure how the game fit into his future so he burned a football. “To me that was a symbol. I had played for couple of years and didn’t know where it was going or if I wanted to continue. That was my way of giving it to God. I gave it to him and he gave it right back,” he says.
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| One of Rottier’s Golden Bear coaches was his second cousin and current Eskimo Offensive Line Coach Tim Prinsen. |
Soon, he would find himself playing for the University of Alberta Golden Bears with Eskimo centre (and friend) Gord Hinse while earning a degree in agriculture. It’s a part of his post-football plan to stay connected to farming.
Despite learning the game relatively late in life, Rottier became a three-time Canada West All-Star, a First-Team All-Canadian and was the first player in Golden Bear history to go first overall in the CFL draft when Hamilton selected him in 2009.
Earlier this month, after three years as a major contributor on the Tiger-Cat offensive line, Rottier declined a contract offer that would have made him one of the highest paid linemen in the league. He wanted more than money.
“It’s hard to put on a value on having my parents at games,” says Rottier. “The Eskimos were on par with what I felt was market value for me and it would have taken more than money to get me to move because of how much family means to me.
“Edmonton was always one of my favorite places to play even when I was playing for Hamilton because my family was there to watch and support me. I’m looking forward to being able to go home after a game to my house and having all of the people I care for around.”