Defensive Lineman Tackles Multiple Roles at Jesuit

Simington has football captain, student body president, oboist on his resume

Exploring the various facets of Chris Simington’s personality can resemble a real-life version of the animated movie Inside Out. 

There’s the toughness on the football field, the clear-headed leadership in student government, the artistic side in playing the oboe, and the goofiness that comes through on his YouTube channel.

The Jesuit Dallas senior finds a way to balance them all with typical multitasking flair but said the key is the people around him — his teammates, bandmates, fellow class officers, and equally goofy friends.

“It can be challenging at times, but the most important thing is surrounding yourself with people who are high achieving like yourself,” Simington said. “Nothing is just a one-man job. It’s about leaning on your brothers to succeed.”

In football, Simington is in his second year as a starter at defensive end after his sophomore season was cut short by injury. Last year, he was sixth on the team in tackles and was a valuable run-stopper, earning him some offers from smaller college programs.

Simington again deflected some credit to his defensive teammates, particularly former Jesuit linebacker Robert Fitzgerald and current linebacker Grayson Wombacher.

“I have guys around me who make me better every single day,” Simington said. “Seeing how (Fitzgerald) carried the team, even in the face of adversity, he kept swinging, and it paid off. I try to be that same role model for the guys — talk when needed but lead by example.”

Off the field, Simington is the student body president, maintains a 4.0 grade-point average, and was an all-state runner-up last year as an oboist.

“Music has been a fundamental part of my life. It’s almost like an escape. It’s nice to focus on something that’s more calming,” said Simington, who enjoys various genres of music. “Oboe is an instrument that’s never really talked about. It’s kind of a weird brag.”

Since launching his YouTube channel as a joke during the pandemic, Simington has gained a small following with his lighthearted food reviews, challenges, vacation vlogs, and shoutouts for Hope Squad — a campus organization focused on peer mental-health support and suicide prevention.

However, as graduation approaches, his extracurricular calendar has reduced his output of new content in the past several months.

“I like showing different sides of my personality. One of the biggest relievers of stress is humor,” he said. “More videos will be coming soon.”