By appearance alone, Kansas University’s Mark Simmons seems pretty average for a college football wide receiver.

The DeSoto, Texas, native is 5-foot-11. Pretty average. He’s a slim but strong 175 pounds. Also pretty average.

Statistically, however, Simmons would like to think he’s an above-average receiver. He’d like to think his numbers have earned him a place among the best in the Big 12 Conference.

That’s why he said it hurt to see that the Big 12 coaches only considered him an honorable-mention selection on the All-Big 12 Conference squad. Simmons said he expected at least to make the third team.

“The people who got it in front of me were seniors,” said Simmons, a sophomore, referring to third-teamers D.J. Hackett of Colorado and Lane Danielsen of Iowa State, “so I figure that’s why they gave it to them.

“That just makes me want to work harder, so that next year there’ll be no question that I’ll try to get on the first team.”

Simmons’ stats seem to back up his argument. His 771 yards this year are the seventh-best season total in KU history, and his 39 receptions are 11th-best.

His seven touchdown receptions also are the third-best in a season ever at Kansas. With three touchdowns of 65 yards or longer, he also unquestionably is one of the top big-play receivers in the conference.

Simmons wasn’t just miffed about the lack of recognition for himself, though. There were plenty other Kansas players he thought deserved more credit from the conference coaches, but he said he wasn’t totally shocked that the Jayhawks were overlooked for postseason honors. He said it was simply one of the pitfalls of building a program in one of the nation’s toughest conferences.

KU receiver Simmons, right, pulls away from Baylor's Marcus Foreman. The action took place Oct. 18 at Memorial Stadium. Simmons says he's motivated after getting only honorable mention on the coaches' All-Big 12 Conference team.

“We deserved a lot more than we’ve got, but we’ll take what we got,” Simmons said. “Obviously we’re not Oklahoma, so they didn’t give us what we deserve, but all we can do is go out there in the games and prove what we deserved. That’s the only place where we know how to prove it.”

The Jayhawks (6-6) will get one last chance to make their case when they play North Carolina State (7-5) in the Tangerine Bowl Dec. 22. It’s Kansas’ first postseason appearance since 1995. Kickoff will be 4:30 p.m. at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

The nationally televised clash with the Wolfpack should provide an ideal opportunity for Simmons to strut his stuff. N.C. State usually plays man coverage rather than zone coverage, which Simmons says is the matchup he prefers.

Bio: Mark Simmons N.C. State getting healthy

“In the zone they can change it some, but in the man you know exactly what they’re going to do,” Simmons said. “You beat one person, you break his tackle and you can score.”