United States
United States
Make no mistake: We love football here at Blendz HQ. Sure, we’ve established ourselves as an extreme-sports-friendly brand with our stable of stellar pro surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding athletes, but when it comes to a good ‘ole fashioned gridiron grudge match, we break out the popcorn like the rest of you. So when we had a chance to link up with Simi Fehoko, a 6'3", 220-pound wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys, we jumped at it.
Trust us, in getting to know Simi, it didn’t take us long to recognize what a fit he was for the Blenders Entourage. The guy’s got an unshakeable confidence—you kind of have to if you’re gonna declare yourself as perhaps the “best wide receiver in the draft class”—but he also benefits from a strong family foundation and commitment to service that elevates him not just as an athlete, but as a man.
Born Simione Tufui Fehoko on November 5, 1997 to parents Simon and Tiffany, Simi grew up in Sandy, Utah as the brother to three siblings (Falisha, Jaden, and Jeremy). While “Utah” may not be synonymous in your mind with “football,” in the Fehoko household, it was foundational. Simi’s father played at Dixie State and his cousin, Alfred Pupunu, found the endzone as a tight end for the San Diego Chargers, making Super Bowl XXIX in the ’94 season after scoring a critical touchdown in the AFC title game.
It’s no surprise then that the pigskin sport had its place from the get-go for Simi, nor that he would quickly ascend the recruiting rankings as a four-star talent at Brighton High School in Cottonwood Heights, Utah (he’d earn national second-team honors in 2015 following his senior season). But it’s what he did prior to attending Stanford that’s perhaps most noteworthy.
It’s common for young adults to head directly into college or the work force following high school graduation, but Simi chose a path somewhat less traveled. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he committed to a two-year mission in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. His dedication to service meant delaying the start of his college career at Stanford, but it was less a sacrifice and more an opportunity for maturation.
"That was huge," Fehoko said when reflecting on his mission. "It gave me a chance to really mature. Going and dropping yourself in the middle of a foreign country, not knowing the culture or language or anyone there and having to learn that. You're on your own and you have to learn that by yourself.”
Cooking, cleaning, laundry… Simi learned it all in Korea.
“Makes you grow up real fast.”
As the late celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian, Anthony Bourdain, once said regarding travel: “The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
It’s clear from Simi’s own words he took something with him from his travels in Korea, and his commitment to service all but ensures he left something good behind, too.
While the mission was educational, Simi never lost his football focus, and when he returned to the States he enrolled at Stanford. He’d tally a career total of 62 receptions for 1,146 yards with the Cardinal, including an 18.5-yard average per reception (third in school history). Along the way, he’d pick up the Gundelach Award for Most Outstanding Junior (2020) and 2020 All-Pac-12 First Team honors.
He’d also pick up something far more special along the way—he wed his teenage sweetheart, Bailee Larson, prior to graduation. (Cute puppy pic alert: Check out their one-year-old golden doodle named Nova!)
On August 28, 2020, Simi announced he was foregoing his senior season at Stanford to enter the 2021 NFL Draft. The following May, he was selected as a 5th round draft pick (179th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys.
Simi and the Cowboys were meant to be. It isn’t just his family’s roots in professional football or some idle fan interest on his part—as a kid, his very first Halloween costume was a Cowboys jersey and helmet (#8 for QB Troy Aikman). Childhood dreams die hard, huh?
While Simi has only just completed his rookie season at time of writing, he’s already seen live game action. Always with that unshakeable confidence we spoke of, he’s told the Cowboys organization: "With my God-given abilities and skills, there's no reason I can't be the best receiver in this draft class, if not the league.”
Regardless of how he’ll be viewed in his draft class in years to come, Simi Fehoko’s already seen as an exceptional team player. And how can anyone be surprised? It’s why we love the guy. Whether back home in Utah, down in Dallas, or even across the sea in Seoul, he always manages to unite his personal pride with a staunch love and support of his community. Simi may be career-driven, but he’s people-driven, too.
Confidence. Compassion. Determination. Keep doing your thing, Simi, and welcome to the Entourage!
