How Ohio State Experience Prepared Josh Simmons for NFL Debut

Kansas City Chiefs rookie will make his 1st NFL start at left tackle Friday in Brazil.

June 17, 2020; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio Stadium, also known as the Horseshoe, the Shoe, and the House That Harley Built, is on the campus of The Ohio State University. Mandatory Credit: Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch via USA TODAY NETWORK | Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – When No. 3 Ohio State beat Arch Manning and No. 1 Texas on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, 107,524 were in the building. Nearly 20 million more were watching on television and streaming platforms.

Games like that were routine for Josh Simmon. In his final college game, starting for the No. 2 Buckeyes on the road against No. 3 Oregon last Oct. 12, intense preparation and pregame film study were required. And those games also helped him prepare for his NFL debut in São Paulo, Brazil (7 p.m. CT, YouTube, KSHB-TV 41, 96.5 The Fan).

“Yeah, I studied a lot … Yeah, a lot,” the Chiefs’ rookie left tackle said Sunday. “You had to, just because Ohio State always gets somebody's best game, so we just kind of had to always prepare for anything. So yeah, just definitely had to watch a lot.”

Times two

He’s doubled that preparation at the NFL level, “times two,” he said. Following the advice of veterans in the Kansas City locker room, preparation is the only way road to success against nine-time Pro Bowler Khalil Mack and the Chargers.

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Josh Simmons works out during the pro day for NFL scouts at the Woody Hayes Athletic Cente on March 26, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

And Chiefs coaches are grateful for the 19 games he had with the Buckeyes, who won the College Football Playoff national title last year, especially offensive line coach Justin Frye.

“I'd say the biggest thing with Josh is,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Monday, “to that point, is you're playing in front of that many people at that big of a game every week, and his O-line coach that he had, Coach (Justin) Frye, did a heck of a job with him. He's really prepped him well.

“And coming into this role, I think now it's on Josh to be able to take that and make mistakes, but then not make the same mistake twice. There's a mentality to that, and he's been really good with that.”

Nagy said he’s been good with that because his competitive mentality – something that pleasantly surprised Brett Veach – allows Simmons to overcome miscues and quickly move on to the next play.

“You also kind of have to have that mindset internally of who you are,” Nagy said, “of a belief in yourself, that if you do mess up, you're ready for the next time that that happens, to dominate it. And I think that's what he's had, just a really great mindset with those challenges.”

Butterfly strategy

One challenge Simmons expects is butterflies, but his strategy to combat natural nervousness on Friday night includes the three most-important words for NFL rookie left tackles: Preparation, preparation, preparation.

Dec 8, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is sacked by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

“First, I want to do my job,” the rookie said. “I want to make sure my teammates can count on me. But then it's just more, just technique, if you're always in the right spot at the right time, it can definitely get you a lot of won blocks.”

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