Players with Youngstown connections chasing Super Bowl rings

January 31, 2019 at 12:10a.m.

There seems to be a Youngstown connection

in the Super Bowl almost every year

A veteran journeyMAN, a high draft pick and a pair undrafted free agents will represent Youngstown in Sunday’s Super Bowl LIII.

Former Youngstown State football player Derek Rivers and Cardinal Mooney graduate John Simon will suit up for the New England Patriots. Youngstown native Troy Hill will line up at cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams.

In addition, former YSU receiver Damoun Patterson is a member of the Patriots’ practice squad.

What they all have in common is wanting to win on football’s biggest stage.

“It’s great, but if you don’t win it, it doesn’t mean anything,” said Simon, who is playing on his fourth team in six years. “I might have taken the long way around, but I’m excited to be here and I’m trying to make the most of it.”

Simon has seen his game evolve from his days as a defensive tackle blowing up the middle of opposing offensive lines for the Cardinals. He moved on to Ohio State, where he played well as a defensive end, being named the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.

He went pro as fourth-round draft pick in 2013 with the Baltimore Ravens, but was waived after one season. He then caught on with the Houston Texans and spent three seasons there at linebacker before signing a three-year, $13.5 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts. He started nine games with the Colts at linebacker before going on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He was released by the Colts before the start of this year’s NFL season. Now with the Patriots, he’s back to playing the position that made him a star with the Buckeyes.

“I still do a lot of linebacker things here. It’s kind of a combination of both,” Simon said. “They do a good job here of getting guys in the right positions for their skill set and I’m trying to do the best I can to capitalize on it.”

While Simon tends to be used as a situational pass rusher, Rivers is trying to just get on the field. Youngstown State’s all-time leader in sacks was a third-round pick for the Pats in 2017, but he missed the entire season after tearing his ACL. This season has been a grind to just get on the field as he missed some games early in the season as a healthy scratch.

The defensive end made his first tackle in Week 7 during a 38-31 win against the Chicago Bears. He got his first sack in the regular-season finale in a 38-3 win against the New York Jets.

“I would say the biggest learning curve is adjusting to the speed of the game,” Rivers said. “It’s almost like you’re a freshman again when you’re coming into college and just finding your way. It’s been a blessing and it takes time, but it’s coming along.

“I have to keep working. God has got me where he wants me to be and whatever he allows me to do, I have to keep working hard and play for the lord.”

Patterson, a rookie, initially signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers before bouncing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then the Patriots. Rivers said the pair were reminiscing about YSU’s run to the FCS national title game in 2016 just before the team departed for Atlanta.

“It’s awesome having an old teammate in the locker room with you, but with everybody in the locker room, we’re all brothers,” Rivers said. “We’re all helping each other. Even if Damoun wasn’t there, it’s been a blessing to play beside these guys.”

Since Hill — who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent — joined the Rams in 2016 after spending a year with the Cincinnati Bengals, he’s been a mainstay in the team’s secondary. He’s started seven games this year, with 34 tackles and two interceptions.

“He’s been taking it all in stride. It’s been a learning process being an undrafted free agent learning the business side of things,” said Taylor Hill, Troy’s brother. “You hear about the glamour and everything, but it’s work. He’s come a long way.”

Troy grew up in Youngstown but during his freshman year at Chaney, his mother moved him to California. He played at Oregon before going to the NFL. Taylor said Troy periodically comes to Youngstown to see his family, but most of his personal life is on the West Coast.

Chaney football coach Chris Amill remembers coaching Hill in a youth league when he was just 6 years old.

“When he was playing at a younger age, he was a phenomenal athlete, but to see him at this stage is incredible,” Amill said.

Michael Taylor contributed to this story.