Life of Fitz | A Cancer Warrior's Conversations about Life

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend Mark Simoneau, a former Kansas State and NFL linebacker. During his time at K-State from 1995-1999, Simoneau became a dominant force for the Wildcats during the late 1990s. He was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the year after the 1999 season and went into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. After leaving K-State, Simoneau was drafted in the third round of the 2000 draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He spent three seasons in Atlanta, followed by three seasons each with the Philadelphia Eagles the New Orleans Saints. Mark completed his career with a final season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010. Mark is now the strength coach at Gardner-Edgerton (Kan.) High School in suburban Kansas City.

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Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend Mark Simoneau, a former Kansas State and NFL linebacker. During his time at K-State from 1995-1999, Simoneau became a dominant force for the Wildcats during the late 1990s. He was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the year after the 1999 season and went into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. After leaving K-State, Simoneau was drafted in the third round of the 2000 draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He spent three seasons in Atlanta, followed by three seasons each with the Philadelphia Eagles the New Orleans Saints. Mark completed his career with a final season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010. Mark is now the strength coach at Gardner-Edgerton (Kan.) High School in suburban Kansas City.

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Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend Brien Hanley, an offensive lineman on the historic 1997 and 1998 Kansas State football teams. Hanley was part of a junior college recruiting class for Coach Bill Snyder that forever changed K-State football, as well as college football by proving a program can recruit juco players and still be a national title contender. Brien now works in banking in Frisco, Texas, but he also hosts his own podcast — Let's Talk Ball with Big B — and serves as the analyst alongside Fitz on the Powercat Postgame Podcast following every K-State football game.

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Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend Brien Hanley, an offensive lineman on the historic 1997 and 1998 Kansas State football teams. Hanley was part of a junior college recruiting class for Coach Bill Snyder that forever changed K-State football, as well as college football by proving a program can recruit juco players and still be a national title contender. Brien now works in banking in Frisco, Texas, but he also hosts his own podcast — Let's Talk Ball with Big B — and serves as the analyst alongside Fitz on the Powercat Postgame Podcast following every K-State football game.

***

Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend Michael Smith, the first breakout star of Bill Snyder's Kansas State program as a highly productive receiver. Smith completed his K-State career in 1991 as the second-leading receiver in Big Eight Conference history and after a brief stint in the NFL, Smith entered coaching. He spent 17 seasons at K-State working for Snyder, first leaving in 2005 when Snyder retired and then returning in 2009 when Snyder returned. He departed again in 2013 working at Arkansas and Kentucky, where he stepped down just prior to the pandemic to seek another coaching position. Until he returns to the field, Coach Smith, and his family, is back in his hometown of New Orleans.

***

Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend Michael Smith, the first breakout star of Bill Snyder's Kansas State program as a highly productive receiver. Smith completed his K-State career in 1991 as the second-leading receiver in Big Eight Conference history and after a brief stint in the NFL, Smith entered coaching. He spent 17 seasons at K-State working for Snyder, first leaving in 2005 when Snyder retired and then returning in 2009 when Snyder returned. He departed again in 2013 working at Arkansas and Kentucky, where he stepped down just prior to the pandemic to seek another coaching position. Until he returns to the field, Coach Smith, and his family, is back in his hometown of New Orleans.

***

Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend Jamar Samuels, a former Kansas State basketball player for Coach Frank Martin. Over his four seasons, Samuels averaged 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, including a points average of 11 during his sophomore season. Samuels was always in motion, hustling, fighting, and too often fouling, but the fans loved him. When Samuels departed K-State, he was just the third Wildcat to exceed 1200 points and 700 rebounds in a career. The first two were Bob Boozer and Ed Nealy. Jamar has been playing overseas since graduation, with stops in Spain, Italy, Israel, Romania and Angola during his career. Now Samuels has decided to make Manhattan his offseason home.

***

Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend Jamar Samuels, a former Kansas State basketball player for Coach Frank Martin. Over his four seasons, Samuels averaged 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, including a points average of 11 during his sophomore season. Samuels was always in motion, hustling, fighting, and too often fouling, but the fans loved him. When Samuels departed K-State, he was just the third Wildcat to exceed 1200 points and 700 rebounds in a career. The first two were Bob Boozer and Ed Nealy. Jamar has been playing overseas since graduation, with stops in Spain, Italy, Israel, Romania and Angola during his career. Now Samuels has decided to make Manhattan his offseason home.

***

Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend, fraternity brother and former Kansas State football player Al Jones. Jones walked onto the K-State football program under Stan Parrish and played two years as a tight end. Then when Bill Snyder arrived in December of 1988, he put Jones and his teammates through a trial by fire. Jones and those who survived the process are honored now as members of The Foundation for all that came after them. K-State football as it now is would not exist without the work put in my Jones and his fellow Wildcats. A model and talent scout since leaving K-State, Al Jones now lives in the Las Vegas suburbs.

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Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.

This edition of the Life of Fitz podcast features host Tim Fitzgerald calling his friend, fraternity brother and former Kansas State football player Al Jones. Jones walked onto the K-State football program under Stan Parrish and played two years as a tight end. Then when Bill Snyder arrived in December of 1988, he put Jones and his teammates through a trial by fire. Jones and those who survived the process are honored now as members of The Foundation for all that came after them. K-State football as it now is would not exist without the work put in my Jones and his fellow Wildcats. A model and talent scout since leaving K-State, Al Jones now lives in the Las Vegas suburbs.

***

Tim Fitzgerald is a sports journalist who writes, does TV, radio and is a long-time podcaster. He has served as publisher of GoPowercat.com, a website that focuses on Kansas State sports, for more than 20 years. Fitz also has stage 4 prostate cancer, so his doctors have advised him to stay home and lay low. Welcome to his life and the Life of Fitz podcast.