By Steve Patterson
Ohio State offered two members of the 2008 senior class at Cardinal Mooney and one member of the 2007 class but finally secured a recruit at the most needed position of defensive tackle in John Simon. Simon is a 6’3” 250 lbs self proclaimed gym rate that is an impact player and one the highest rated prospects in the State of Ohio for 2009.
Simon spent the spring of 2007 camping at three locations and got to see the facilities and meet the coaches at each campus. “I attended camps at Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh this spring. I thought all of them helped me. I learned a lot from the coaches. Ohio State's camp was probably the largest and most competitive.” Simon told us about his recent camp experience.
In the fall, Simon was invited to Notre Dame and Ohio State again for home games in addition to Penn State. “I also was fortunate enough to attend games at Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Penn State. The excitement was incredible. All of these schools have top of the line facilities.” He reported to us.
Even though the McCarthy brothers from Cardinal Mooney selected Notre Dame for college and Michael Zordich followed his family tradition to Penn State, John Simon will be going to Ohio State in 2009 because of the comfort level he has with the coaching staff. “Ohio State really stuck out to me. The tradition, spirit, and personality of the football program are second to none. The coaches welcomed me and made me feel very comfortable. I also have a sister who just loves going to school there.”
Look for Simon to jump right into the mix at defensive tackle as the Buckeyes have been shallow at the position for years and will need additional personnel at a position that they routinely rotate four. “I think my best attributes are my work habits. I'm a gym rat year round and I love practice and everything about it. I'm disciplined, I never miss a workout. I always keep in the back of my mind that there’s someone out there working harder then me and that drives me to turn it up.” He explained about his work ethic and ability to perform on the football field.
For 2007, Simon had 62 tackles, 23 assists, 8.5 sacks, and 7 tackles for loss. He didn’t wish to report the statistics to us as Cardinal Mooney players are about team. “We’re not real big on talking about individual stats at Mooney. However Mooneyfootball.com does keep track of our stats for the fans.”
When Simon leaves Mooney at the end of the 2009 school year, he will remember the players and the state championships the most. “I think just being out there with my teammates on the field is the best part of my career. Also playing in two state championships has been a great experience for me.”