60 SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 17 2009
FAITH IN FOCUS
Simien finds new path in youth outreach
Four years ago, Wayne Simien was on his way to Miami to start a new chapter in his life as an NBA player. Now he's starting a new one, this time as a minister.
BY JASON BAKER
jbaker@kansan.com
During his time playing Kansas basketball, Simien was considered by many to be one of the best players to grace the floor of Allen Fieldhouse. The former McDonald's High School All-American was the only Jayhawk of his class in 2005 to be drafted to the NBA and the only Jayhawk to be a first team All-American under Kansas Coach Bill Self's tenure.
Simien said the past four years had been a journey, as now he's focusing on his sports ministry, "Called to Greatness." Here's a look at the road that led this basketball great to where he is now.
"At that time it was what can you do for me and what I can do to excel my career as a basketball player and being the big man on campus," Simien said.
After that day in 2003, Simien said, he was a completely different individual, changing his attitude about life on and off the court.
Even with the status of being a big man on campus and having access to anything he wanted, he said he felt as though he was searching for more.
Christian Moody, a former teammate who played for Kansas from 2002 to 2006, said he remembered guarding Simien at practices during his freshman and sophomore years at Kansas.
COMING INTO HIS OWN
"He was the best big man on the floor," Moody said. "He never took it easy on people."
On the court, Simien took his job seriously.
Simien said he saw being a hard worker on the court as an opportunity
fore that time, he only lived for two things: himself and basketball.
July 12, 2003 is an important date in Simien's life. It is the day he became a Christian. He said that be-
SEE SIMIEN ON PAGE 61