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LB John Simon - (2012 B1G DPOY, Super Bowl Champ)

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Bucknuts.com - Photo Gallery: Cardinal Mooney's 7th Annual Camp Of Champions

CMBT0817.jpg


Here's his tattoo.

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EDIT- Should've scrolled down more. Here's a better one.

CMBT0856.jpg
 
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TheIronColonel;1202336; said:
Is it too early to suggest the nick name "Big Bad John" Simon? It just seems so appropriate.
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I can't get the image out of my head of Chris Berman (probably won't still be broadcasting when Simon hits the NFL though) doing NFL Primetime and saying "Simon says... 'Fall Down!'" as the highlight shows Simon brutalizing a qb.
 
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OhioVarsity.com fact or fiction from June 20th.

3. John Simon's drop out of the Rivals100 was justified.

Mike (Parris): FICTION

It really makes no sense to me why the 6-foot-3, 275-pound Simon made such a drastic slip in the national rankings. He has committed to one of the top programs in the country, is an athletic specimen with Herculean strength, and played against top-flight competition. What more can you ask for?

I can only assume that Simon dropped because he hasn't been very visible at off-season camps and combines and overall his statistical line last season wasn't eye-popping. But he wasn't called upon last season to be a primary playmaker, but rather to occupy blockers to free up Mooney's outstanding linebacker trio of Mike Zordich, Brandon Beachum and Taylor Hill. He will be called upon to be more of a force as a senior, and I expect him to rise to the challenge and quiet any doubters of his talent.

Steve (Hare): FICTION

I've never been one to put too much into rankings—surprising, huh?

But even this move had me shaking my head. Making matters worse was the fact that six other Ohio players were ranked higher than Simon. When the OhioVarsity.com Top 100 comes out in the next couple of weeks, I'd be very surprised if Simon isn't ranked as one of the top two or three prospects in the state.

No. 2? Sure. No. 3? Sure. But, No. 7? I don't think so.

I heard from one national analyst that said an NFL scout called Simon one of the most overrated players ever. That scout worked for a team ranked 29th out of 32 NFL teams. It's just an opinion, but that team might need to look for a new scout, especially as it relates to defensive prospects.

I've also heard that Simon simply didn't produce like a game-breaking defensive tackle should have. The No. 1 defensive tackle in the country, Jamarkus McFarland, posted just 67 tackles and six sacks. Ask Monroeville, Pa., Gateway (then ranked No. 10 nationally) how productive Simon was. The Gators could muster no offense against a talented Mooney defense, led in part by Simon, as Mooney went on to win 27-6.

Not enough?

How about Mentor, you know, the big-school state runner-ups. Mooney beat Mentor and its high-powered offense, 21-10. Mentor had no run game because Simon dominated the line of scrimmage.

When a player draws double and triple teams all season, he may not put together the most impressive highlight tape, but he sure is a valuable member of the squad.

While the NFL scout might consider Simon to be one of the most overrated players, the coaches that actually know something about defense disagree. Ohio State's defense was No. 1 in the country last season—the Buckeyes offered Simon early and he verbally committed shortly after. Even Pittsburgh offered. The Panthers' defense was No. 5 in the country last year. Who knows how many offers Simon would have picked up had he not made the early verbal commitment.

Marc (Givler): FICTION

This one is a head scratcher to me. On film, Simon is quite possibly the most disciplined player in the state. He's never out of position and he reads screens as well as any defensive tackle that I've ever seen at the high school level. He's also strong as an ox and does a great job taking on blockers and occupying space. He's everything a coach would want in a defensive tackle as opposing offenses have to either double team him or run away from him, both of those options result in opportunities for his teammates to make plays. John Simon is clearly one of the top two or three players in Ohio for the 2009 class, in my opinion.
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The rest of the article tackles the Big33 game and whether Ohio is lacking in skill players.
 
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