• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

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

Former Browns GM Phil Savage breaks down NFL chances of Ohio State senior John Simon and his hands like "butcher knives"

11620484-mmmain.jpg

Ohio State's John Simon needs the right fit to succeed in the NFL, according to former Browns GM Phil Savage (Photo by Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)
Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer
updated September 27, 2012

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Most Ohio State fans know what kind of player senior defensive lineman John Simon is.

Still, it?s interesting to get him broken down by an NFL talent evaluator.

Former Browns general manager Phil Savage is now the executive director of the Senior Bowl, the premier postseason all-star game for college seniors.

The Senior Bowl passed along Savage's breakdown of Simon, as Savage will offer opinions on different seniors from around the country throughout the season. His detailed analysis projects Simon as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense and offers what has been heard before: Simon is a bit of a tweener at the NFL level who needs the right fit to succeed.

At his best, Savage compared Simon to 15-year NFL player Kevin Greene. But there is no doubt Simon goes hard. Really hard.

Among the phrase highlights from Savage:

?his hands are combat-ready. They are like a bundle of butcher knives for the opponent to handle and that is how he wins.?

?he can get covered up at point-of-attack because he simply does not have the girth and length to do more than hold his own?

?he is one of the fiercest competitors in all of college football?

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2012/09/former_browns_gm_phil_savage_b.html

Here's the entire breakdown from from Savage (click to link to .pdf)
 
Upvote 0
This is the same guy that drafted Brady Quinn. Lets keep
That in mind. Johnny isnt an OLB. At 265-270ish he's a
4-3 SDE. Not an ?lite pass rusher. Holds the point of attack
And bags you half dozen sacks every season with a high motor.
 
Upvote 0
Playing on Guts
Simon Pushing Past Injuries to Lift Buckeyes
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? John Simon is not exactly filling up the stat sheet during his senior season at Ohio State.

simonMSU.jpg

Photo by Dan Harker John Simon

After five games this season, Simon has just one sack to call his own and he is tied for ninth on the team in tackles with 17, the same amount as safety C.J. Barnett, who missed the last two games with a high ankle sprain.

Simon is tied for the team-lead with 2.5 tackles for loss, but that doesn?t even rank him in the top 35 ? of the Big Ten. He has not forced any fumbles or been on the recovering end, either. He has zero interceptions and only five more tackles than Doran Grant, a backup cornerback who has started exactly one game for the Buckeyes this season.

He hasn?t exactly been the disruptive force many expected after hearing about Simon?s exploits this offseason, which included being held out of practice ? not to mention the spring game ? back in April because, well, he simply didn?t need to be out there.

cont...

http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2012/Nebraska/playingonguts.html
 
Upvote 0
It's what Simon doesn't say
Tough senior DE prefers not to talk about injuries, even to coachng staff
Updated: October 10, 2012
By Austin Ward | BuckeyeNation

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The questions have to be specific to get the right answer, which Urban Meyer almost found out the hard way.

The Ohio State coach has raved seemingly since he arrived about the leadership, drive and tireless work ethic of John Simon, but that complete package does come with one characteristic that can pose a challenge.

rn_u_johnsimon_ms_200.jpg

Greg Bartram/US PresswireJohn Simon had a pair of sacks of Taylor Martinez on Saturday.
The defensive end might actually be a bit too tough, since an unwillingness to acknowledge any physical weakness can perhaps become a detriment to the Buckeyes if they aren't aware of his limitations. So after one close call where Simon nearly surprised Meyer with how close he was to missing a game against California in September, a player who seems to feel more pain from talking about his injuries than actually dealing with them has had to open up a bit more often to his coach.

"We have grown-man conversations now," Meyer said. "I'd ask him and he's very honest with me now, because we need to know. I mean, a hurt player will sometimes hurt you, you know, he'll put himself out of position. John is awesome, and he lets us know now.

"I don't ask him, 'How are you doing?' We go through a checklist. We've got the rib squared away, the groin squared away, the rolled ankle squared away, now we're just dealing with a shoulder."

cont...

http://espn.go.com/colleges/osu/foo...hn-simon-ohio-state-buckeyeys-shrugs-injuries
 
Upvote 0
Counsel of war
Defensive end John Simon has taken to heart the lessons of sacrifice and teamwork he has learned through avid study of military history
By Todd Jones
The Columbus Dispatch Friday November 2, 2012

simon620.jpg

Fred Squillante | Dispatch

Heat of battle: John Simon, left, tries to power past Miami offensive linesman Zach Lewis in the season opener. Simon had three tackles that day.

The long walk beckons.

Few know its path: Out the Ohio Stadium locker-room door, down the long concrete hill and onto the green field in the scarlet canyon.

John Simon has made the walk for four years. Each time is the same. His heart thumps through his Ohio State football uniform like a war drum, fueled by the crackling power of game day.

?You definitely take the fight-or-flight mentality,? he said.

Simon will make the walk again today before Ohio State plays Illinois.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

The senior defensive lineman will feel the anticipation.

And he?ll probably be thinking about the words he scribbled on pieces of paper tucked away in his apartment.

From time to time, Simon pulls out those papers. He re-reads and ponders the words.

?It?s just like when we study our playbook or study our schoolwork,? Simon said. ?You always need to refresh your memory and keep your mind going.?

cont...

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2012/11/02/gameday/cover-simon.html
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top