On Friday, April 12, 2024, Upper Moreland seniors Luis ‘Ricky’ Soler and Alex Simpson were recognized for committing to continue their football careers at Ursinus College.
Alex Simpson – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Delaware Valley
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “I took a visit to Ursinus – it was amazing. I loved everything about it. I had a visit with the players and coaching staff, and they were kind, made it feel like home, and that pretty much made my decision to go to Ursinus.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I always knew I wanted to play football in college. I always knew how hard it was to get to college and play any sport. Coach Beach did an amazing job bringing football coaches in to school – all sorts of colleges.”
Coach Adam Beach says: “Alex Simpson was our MVP. He was our leader, and he was obviously the captain of our team. There was no one even close. Everyone looked to Alex to set the tone and the temperature in the room, and he took that very seriously. We had a lot of adversity this year, but Alex was able to help us get through the storm because of his hard work. The kids listened to him, the kids followed him, and it helped set us up for this year really because a lot of guys were getting varsity time. Now they have that varsity time, and this year they have that experience, which is going to bode well for us, but last year, he had to guide the ship through the storm. He did a really great job with that. For us, at times, he was a tight end, but then we made him a tackle because we needed him to play tackle, so he had to sacrifice himself for that. He also played inside linebacker. We’re happy he’s going on to Ursinus. He’s a good kid in the classroom, a good kid in the hallway. They’re both fine, upstanding young men, and they’re going on to play college football, and we couldn’t be happier for them.”
About Alex:
Favorite food: Chicken
Favorite TV show: Football
Favorite music: Rap/Hip Hop
Luis ‘Ricky’ Soler – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Accounting
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Kutztown, Millersville, Muhlenberg, Lock Haven
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “Just the people at Ursinus – I felt like there was a different culture there. The football program there was well built. I loved the coaching staff. There were just a lot of great things. As soon as I walked in there, I knew I was going to go there.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I’ve been playing football since I was six years old, but I had a few concussions, so my mom pulled me from ages eight to 16, so I didn’t start playing again until sophomore year of high school. When I came back sophomore year, I was like – ‘I need to keep doing this.’ I just needed to know the way to get there. It was a long journey, but I found my way, and I’m happy about it.”
Coach Adam Beach says: “Ricky is a kid who really committed himself to the weight room. He’s a very strong, fast kid who put a lot of time into getting himself ready to play. Unfortunately, he got hurt last year, so he wasn’t able to play the amount of time he wanted to play. When he was able to play, he was very impactful, very important to our team. He played outside linebacker and receiver for us. We used him mostly as an outside linebacker, a blitzer coming off the edge. Think of a guy like a Lawrence Taylor, Brandon Graham or one of those guys – that’s what he was for us. Unfortunately, that injury put him on the sidelines, so we weren’t able to use him as much as we would have liked. He’s a nice kid, he’s good in the classroom, he’s a good kid in the hallway. They’re getting a good kid, and he's going to do well.”
About Ricky:
Favorite food: “I’m Dominican, so I love me some rice and beans.”
Favorite TV show: Regular Show
Favorite artist: Night Lovell
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