Every time Alex Simmons takes the floor of a National Lacrosse League game, he embraces the moment.

“This is my life. This is what I grew up doing, and this is what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Simmons, a forward for the Albany FireWolves.

What You Need To Know

  • The Albany FireWolves are currently in second place in the NLL and closing in a playoff berth

  • Rookie Alex Simmons leads the team with 28 goals and 45 assists

  • He played at the University of Denver before finishing his collegiate career at Syracuse 

The opportunity may still be hard to fathom from the time to time. But his numbers show Simmons is certainly deserving of every minute.

“When you get to this point, the only people you can think about is your family, the people who have helped you get there,” Simmons said. “All those rides to the rink, that’s the stuff you think about when you’re here.”

Through 13 games, he has registered 73 points with a team-leading 28 goals and 45 assists as a rookie in the NLL.

“Luckily for me, a lot of the balls have been dropping early and I just contribute all my success to the game plan we have and everybody else around me so it’s been a pretty fun time to play here,” Simmons said.

He also credits his success to playing hockey growing up in Ontario. The two sports kept him at the top of his game year-round.

“Just like every dream, the NHL was kind of far fetched and I started focusing on lacrosse a little bit more,” Simmons said.

It earned him a scholarship to the University of Denver, where he played for four years before wrapping up his collegiate career last year with Syracuse University.

Now a couple months into his professional career, Simmons is getting a hang of balancing work at a Chicago lacrosse program during the week and then flying into cities for games on weekends.

“That definitely helps, and it keeps a stick in my hand and it keeps me sharp,” he said.