AUBURN, Ala. – The 2021-22 season is underway for Auburn swim and dive, and there are some new faces in the pool competing for the Tigers. Throughout the year, we will be introducing each of the newcomers with a Q&A.
Next up in the series is Andrew Simmons, a true freshman from Johns Creek, Georgia, who has quickly emerged as one of Auburn's top swimmers in the backstroke. He's one of nine on the men's roster who call the Peach State home.
Q: What is your favorite time of the year?
Simmons: My favorite time of the year would definitely have to be springtime because it's not too hot or too cold. It's also just a lot nicer coming off the cold weather from winter with nice weather in the spring.
Q: If you were to play a different sport, which sport would it be?
Simmons: "I would play baseball, as I grew up playing pitcher and catcher. I would not play football, though, because they get hit pretty hard."
Q: Of all the animals in the world, which animal would you want as a pet?
Simmons: "Definitely a sea otter because they are really cute and very smart to where they can interact with humans. I feel like they would be just a fun pet to have, but you would need a big space for them."
Q: What is your favorite song to play before a meet?
Simmons: "I wouldn't say I have a specific song that I listen to before meets, but I do listen to a lot of country music. I also like EDM music like Avicii. But in terms of music before a meet I would say I listen to music that calms me down and doesn't get me too amped up."
Q: How old were you when you first started swimming?
Simmons: "I started swimming when I was in the 4th grade at around 11 years old. I really started doing swimming for fun, but I didn't know I could swim in college until around my freshman year. There wasn't really a specific meet where I knew I would swim in college, but my coaches really encouraged me and helped me out. Shoutout Coach Wrighton."
Q: What made you want to come to Auburn?
Simmons: "I went on my visit and instantly fell in love with the people who go to this school. The facilities are amazing here, and I love the team. An interesting story when I was still unsure as to where I wanted to go to school – I was in a random town in North Carolina wearing an Auburn shirt, and this group of people came up to me and said 'War Eagle' and I just wanted to be a part of that family."
Q: What is your mindset before a meet or when you are about to swim a race?
Simmons: "I try to think about small things in my race before a meet to not get myself overwhelmed. I try not to think about the times I'm going to get and the competitors I am going against."
Q: What are your personal goals for this season? What are some team goals?
Simmons: "Personally, I want to improve on my times, and I want to be able to compete at the high SEC level. I would also like to qualify for NCAAs, and I can do that by focusing on the small things in practice. For the team goals, we all want to improve the atmosphere of the team. We want to dominate the SECs and grow as a team together."
Q: As a newcomer, how do you plan to impact your team?
Simmons: "I really want to grow with the team as I consider them my family members and encourage each other during practice, making us all better by the end of the year."
Q: What is your major and what would you like to do with it?
Simmons: "I am studying Biomedical Sciences. I plan to go to either medical school or dental school. I have really just been super interested in sciences."
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Simmons: "I would want to go to the Alps because it is a beautiful area. I really like the mountains because it has such good skiing – which I haven't been in a while – but I loved going to Utah and Colorado."
Q: If you were to be described in one word, what would it be?
Simmons: "I would go with quiet because before you really get to know me, I am a little shy. But once people know me, I open up a lot."
Q: How has it been living away from home?
Simmons: "It's definitely had its ups and downs. It's fun living with people who are starting to become some of my best friends, but I do miss my family. Luckily, I don't live that far away, and I can go and visit them over the weekend if I wanted to. But it's honestly been a lot of fun. I haven't gotten as homesick as I expected."
Q: What does the Auburn Family mean to you?
Simmons: "It means everything. We really just grow together as a team, we fail together, and we just all have each other's backs. It's like we are a whole big family."