Ohio State Football: Should We Believe The Hype About John Simon?

While most of us are sound asleep in the morning, one of Ohio State's top defensive linemen is hard at work.

One of John Simon's favorite hobbies is getting up at 6:30 in the morning to hit the weights. Ever since he was a kid, Simon has made working out a huge part of his life.

During his high school career at Cardinal Mooney, Simon commitment paid off. He lifted herculean numbers, maxing out at 450 pounds on bench press and over 700 pounds on squat.

His hard work in the weight room translated onto the field. Simon was a tenacious defensive tackle and terrorized offensive lines throughout his time for the Cardinals.

Simon's strength has already garnered him attention this off-season, even before he's started a game for the Buckeyes.

ESPN Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg dedicated an article to Simon's work ethic towards training and the Columbus Dispatch's Tim May wrote a feature article about Simon's weight-lifting obsession.

All the details about Simon's training regiment might be captivating, but will it translate to success on the field in 2010?

After all, looking like the Hulk doesn't always mean success on the field. Look at OSU alum Vernon Gholston in the NFL.

With Simon, however, his strength points to success in the Big Ten trenches.

The drive and determination he shows in the weight room are shown when he stifles linemen who try to knock him back. Simon outworks the opposing linemen just like he outworks his teammates in the weight room.

His ability prompted Brian Rolle to guarantee that Simon will be an All-American by the time he graduates. Simon had to have done something to prompt such comments from one of the top Buckeye defenders.

Simon didn't get many opportunities to shine for the Buckeyes last year as a freshman. He did register 15 tackles with four for loss in his limited time filling in for the injured Dexter Larimore.

His strength has always been talked about among media and he was expected to perform well eventually. He showed this spring, however, that he is already prepared to take over the starting tackle position next to Dexter Larimore.

A versatile defensive lineman, Simon showed he could rush the passer on top of clogging holes. He has the quickness, motor, and intelligence to go along with his Arnold Schwarzenegger-like physique. Simon proved he's a total package for the Buckeyes in the middle.

With that said, all the Simon hype is warranted. His training is what will make Simon the dominating tackle fans have been waiting to see.

His attitude towards weights is the same he uses on the practice field, in the film room, and ultimately, on Ohio Stadium field on Saturdays.

Plus, I'm too scared to see what Simon would do to me if I said otherwise.