To many college football fans, John Simon may be the biggest beast to hit the college gridiron this year.  When we originally published our list of the Top 10 Strongest College Football Players, we never realized John Simon, an Ohio native, is just that damn strong and worthy of being mentioned. We therefore apologize to those loyal Buckeyes fans who wondered how he could be snubbed (we have since updated it and included him as #4 on the list).

The 6’2, 270 pound Simon left high school with a 450 pound max bench and a max squat of 700 pounds. Even at the young age of 16, Simon could bench 31 reps of 225 pounds! Keep in mind that it’s been a few years since Simon posted those insane feats of strength. You can only imagine how strong the man is now (however, we may never know). It would not be surprising if Simon can max out well over a 600 pound bench and an 800 pound squat. Simon is known to of done 48 reps for the 225 pound bench press, one rep shy of Stephen Paea's all-time NFL Combine record. As a result, there will sure be a lot of hype for him heading into the NFL Combine.

Would you want this 270 lb. body tackling you? Simon has 
a very big presence on the football field...literally.

Simon’s work ethic and motor are legendary. The pace he sets in the weight room is astounding to many teammates and coaches and what takes players two hours to do, he will do in 30 minutes. At times, Simon would rather hit the next machine than get some much needed rest between sets. Many fitness enthusiasts and researchers alike would agree that resting 60-90 seconds is thought to be the ideal rest time between sets. Once in a while, it is good to give yourself even less rest to boost your conditioning and stimulate your muscles a different way. Every person has a different body type and structure so what might work for Simon might not work for you. The fact that he needs so little rest in his workouts shows that 60-90 seconds may be too much time for some people (assuming Simon rests less than that). However, 60-90 seconds is the standard and we would recommend that.

During his high school days, Simon would carry a truck tire in each hand and run, or flip tires in between his normal workout sets. For Simon, "It's not just lifting, it's conditioning and everything," he told The Columbus Dispatch. "You're always looking for new, creative methods to take it to that next level and put a little spark back in the workout."

Simon, the star defensive tackle entering his junior season, typically trains in the morning with his teammates and then does a private workout or runs in the sand pit. Simon works out in the sand pit at least three times per week during the offseason. In the sand pit, Simon does sprints, sometimes with a heavy tire harnessed to his waist. He develops more strength in his lower body running on sand, especially with that added tire weight attached to his waist. Since the sand shifts beneath him as he runs, Simon’s ankles, arches, and calves are much more engaged and will become stronger in the process.  This can explain why Simon has a vertical jump over 30 inches and a 4.8 40-yard dash with his 270-pound frame. In addition, sand training improves balance because the uneven sand surface activates nearly all the muscles in the body, which will result in more strength and fluidity of motion. Also, running on sand puts less impact on the joints and muscles as the feet hit the sand. Also, studies show that people who run or walk on sand burned between 1.2 and 1.8 times more calories per mile on each run, which can explain why Simon such a lean and muscular physique. “He’s the only D-lineman we have with a six-pack,” a staffer told ESPN.

"Just running in the sand, it slows you down so much," Simon said in an ESPN interview. "And then when you get on regular grass or turf and you’re in your spikes, you feel that much faster. I see a big difference."

John Simon looks to dominate on the defensive interior for Ohio State, as they seem likely to battle Wisconsin for the top spot in the new look Big Ten. Along with emerging defensive studs like the 325-pound sophomore Jonathan Hankins and the veteran pass rusher Nathan Williams, Ohio State looks to solidify an elite defense heading into the 2011 college football season. Simon is the glue and leader of the Buckeyes defense with 57 career tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 12 tackles for loss. He has been named to the 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, honoring the top collegiate defensive player in the country. Many expect big things out of John Simon this season. If he can dominate offensive lines like he can dominate the weight room, he may be the most dominating defensive force in college football this season.

Buckeyes strength coach Jeff Uhlenhake was an All-American at OSU in the '80s and spent 10 years in the NFL. Uhlenhake told ESPN, "John Simon is the best total-package workout guy I've ever been around, in college, in the pros, as a coach, anybody. He is amazing." Even Eric Lichter, head of strength and conditioning for Ohio State football is blown away by Simon's work ethic. "His work level is equal to three guys. What he does in a week would be like adding three players together," Lichter told The Columbus Dispatch.

Source

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2010/07/06/he-does-heavy-lifting.html?sid=101

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/13414/meet-john-simon-ohio-states-sandman

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/blog?name=feldman_bruce&id=5322140