Homecoming of sorts for Arkansas safety Simeon Blair

Simeon Blair is from Pine Bluff, so going up against his town’s school will be interesting for him on Saturday in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium.

Blair actually considered playing for the Golden Lions after a stellar prep career with the Pine Bluff Zebras.

“I gave it a little thought,” Blair said. “Arkansas ended up telling me how I could work for a scholarship and that ended up being a great choice for me. But it’s a great honor to go back home and play against my hometown team that I watched since I grew up.”

Blair knows that the players will be fired up to go against a team the caliber of Arkansas.

“I think they’ll be very excited,” Blair said. “Playing a bigger school, and plus I’ll get to see some old-school friends that I grew up with and went to junior high and high school and even elementary school with.”

So far in 2021, Blair has seen action in all seven games and recorded 19 tackles while also breaking up three passes.

With Jalen Catalon’s season-ending injury, Blair will be counted on even more in Barry Odom’s game plans for the remainder of the year.

“It’s always a ‘next man up’ mentality, and that’s why we build up our depth in the spring and fall camps,” Blair said.

Blair was a member of the SEC academic honor roll in 2020 and is looking to stay on there this fall.