From Pueblo to Germany: Pueblo West grad David Simental set to play pro ball for Red Devils
The list of great athletes from Pueblo that have made it to a professional level is growing once again as Pueblo’s own David Simental, a graduate of Pueblo West High School and former Colorado State University Pueblo basketball player, will be signing with German professional team Tus Red Devils Bramsche.
The Red Devils are in the North-West division of the Regionalliga league in Germany.
Simental has worked his entire career to get to this point, but he knows this isn't the end of his journey. Still, to have the opportunity to play basketball on a professional level was something that Simental has always dreamed about.
“I'm just really excited to go and represent Pueblo,” Simental said. “I wouldn't have gotten here without my dad, my sisters, my mom, and then my wife. They've supported me the whole way. They've been at the gym with me every single day. My dad has trained me since I was able to walk, and I wouldn't be here without them.”
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Simental has worked on his game since he was young. He accomplished a lot during his high school career, earning the Colorado Player of the Year award in basketball, and went on to play college basketball at CSU Pueblo and at Regis Jesuit.
Along the way, Simental has had to learn and grow in his sport, and sometimes be challenged; however, all of his hard work is finally paying off with a chance to play professionally overseas.
“There were a lot of mental hurdles to get over, like whether I should stop, should I keep going,” Simental said. “I always wanted to play Division I but that never happened. But I had a great support system and that kind of kept me going. There were a lot of unknowns about playing professionally. I didn't know how to get an agent, I didn't know what the levels were like. There are just a lot of different unknowns, but I have had a lot of people who have helped me.”
Earlier this year, Simental signed with an agency and within a few months, they had been in contact with Bramsche Red Devils. A bit of time passed by, but by mid-summer, Simental was signed with one of the top teams in the German Regionalliga league.
“This has been my dream, to get paid to play basketball,” Simental said. “It's just mind-blowing to me sometimes. I'm just so excited. Even if they were to just pay me a dollar, I'm just so blessed to get to play this game and get paid for it.”
Simental will have a bit of an adjustment period once he gets to Germany, having only been abroad once before, the culture shock might come into play, but one thing that is sure to travel with him with no problem is his skill on the court.
“I mean, basketball-wise, I always am very confident,” Simental said. “I feel like I can play anywhere, so I don't worry as much about that side. I know there will be adjustments to being in a new country, I don't know how many people speak English. I don't know what that would be like. I just know I have an apartment and a roommate.”
Overall, Simental is happy and excited about this new opportunity to play overseas; however, he is also humble and realizes that this isn’t an opportunity that is afforded to many people. He has had to work hard to get here, but he also knows that he can be looked at as an inspiration for future athletes from Pueblo.
“Just because you're from Pueblo, and not from Denver, doesn't mean you should limit yourself,” Simental said. “You should take pride in that and want to go play against the Denver and the (Colorado) Springs people and that you can do it, it doesn't matter. All that matters is how much time you put in the gym, and you work at it, anything can happen.”
Simental knows that all this success has not come easy, and he’s had to work hard to get to this point.
“I'm just extremely blessed and I'm extremely grateful,” Simental said. “It's one thing to make it to college basketball, let alone get paid to play the games. Not a lot of people are doing that from Pueblo. So, I'm just blessed and I'm happy to represent Pueblo.”
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As far as what he has to do to continue his career in the sport he loves so much, Simental kept it simple.
“I just have to dominate,” Simental said. “I got to win, and I have got to play well, I mean, got to do everything: score, make plays for others, and then ultimately win. No one cares if you score a bunch of points but lose. So, I need to help my team win and play as best as I can, and then and then we'll see what happens.”
Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter: @chowebacca. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: From Pueblo to Germany: David Simental to play pro ball for Red Devils
