The seats at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey are filled to the brim with passionate fans of all ages supporting Bloomfield High School’s football team. The crowd roars as the boys take the field to start the game, but the team can only manage to look around in awe.
Later in the game, with only 10 seconds left on the clock and a tied score, Bloomfield’s quarterback frantically looks for an open player to pass to. After acquiring his target, he musters up all of his strength and rifles the ball down the field – the game winning touchdown pass.
The boys finally did what seemed to be so impossible just a year before. The fans go insane in the stands, and the student section starts a chant that echoes through the stadium, “E$7! E$7!” (pronounced E-S-7).
This is the dream of senior quarterback Eli Simmons, better known as E$7, for the 2015 season as he leads his team onto the field every Friday night.
Starting the season off with a 4-0 record, the Bloomfield High School football team seems to be very promising this year. Much of the success has been handed to captain Eli Simmons, having completed nine touchdown passes and six rushing touchdowns within just four games.
Simmons has been playing football for ten years, and after being a wide receiver for two, his father, and coach, tested him out as quarterback. With Michael Vick as his inspiration, he worked hard to get to his current position by attending football camps his junior year and by constantly training during the nine month off season.
Though this year as a team captain is not much different to Simmons from last year, he definitely feels it is necessary to remain focused and on his game at all times. With a group of players that are all working towards one goal, winning, he is trying to avoid the laziness epidemic by leading by example.
“Before games I usually tell the guys to get mental rest and think about what they’re going to do when they step on the field,” Simmons stated, “Our defense is our biggest strength, though. Actually, both sides of the ball are deadly. If we keep our heads on straight, no one can stop us.”
Eli foresees successful playoff games in the nearby future, and when asked what he wanted his team to accomplish this year, he answered with a typical answer: win the championship game at Metlife Stadium and bring home “the ring.” He quickly followed up saying, “But really, I want to know we did better than last year. Just to know we improved would be awesome.”
So who is this “E$7” that has such ambitious aspirations for his team? Simmons plans on attending college and playing football for his school, and his dream is to play professionally. However, his backup plan is to be a teacher as he loves working with others and children. He works with multiple charities with one of his coaches, and he volunteers as a coach for the pee-wee football program in Bloomfield. His love for others and football is what has gotten him so far today.
Eli Simmons, or E$7, is very thankful for the support and motivation he and his team are receiving from the town’s fans. He sees success in the bright future of the Bloomfield High School football program and his eyes are set on the championships.