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Avonworth Football Player Sews Dress For Prom Date

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May 28, 2009 8:10 pm US/Eastern

Avonworth Football Player Sews Dress For Prom Date

Reporting
Stephanie Watson
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― For Abbey Niklaus, her prom at Avonworth High School this year is not only special; it's making headlines and is the talk of the school.

"Not only did I go as a freshman, but my boyfriend made my dress," said Niklaus.

Not only did her boyfriend make it from scratch with no sewing experience, but Mike Simmons is also a star football player.

"We're 11 and 1, and I was fortunate to get the First Team All-Conference Guard in Class A Eastern Division," said Simmons. "Now, I sew. I learned how to sew and made my girlfriend her dress."

The prom dress was actually a project for Simmons' Studio Arts Portfolio Class. He says he already made Niklaus a purse for Christmas, but she says the dress was even more impressive.

"When I tried it on at my house, I love it," she said. "I liked how it fit. I like the color a lot."

Simmons admits it was a lot harder than he thought it would be.

"There's a certain way you sew. Everything's different ways between, darts and seams have to be straight and ripping seams - I did plenty of that. On the first dress, I made a practice dress out of muslin," said Simmons.

And Simmons says his teammates have been pretty supportive.

"At first they were in disbelief like... and then after that they were like, 'That's pretty cool.' They're asking me to make them stuff," he said.

Simmons also said he would easily pick fashion design over NFL dreams.

"I think it would be the better choice to get into something like that. It's for my career," he added. "Let's face it, not everyone goes to the NFL or plays college ball."

Now, he's hoping his latest design will keep breaking stereotypes about macho athletes. And give guys his age a little inspiration to do things no matter what anyone thinks.

"Especially in this day and age, people are able to be themselves more than anything. I think it's cool to say that I got First All-Conference Guard and I made my girlfriend a prom dress," he said.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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