ATLANTA — The sports world will be watching Monday night for a matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame for the national championship.
So will Rich Hansen, but he'll keep an eye on two players in particular: Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon and Notre Dame defensive end RJ Oben.
St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City will take center stage and feature two alumni in college football's biggest game. The two played together for three seasons.
“I'm excited for them,” said Hansen, the school's athletic director and former football coach. “These two guys are some of the best humans on the planet, and that's what I mean. Obviously they have the athletic ability, but there's more to it than that.
“They accepted the hardship, the competition, the challenge, and that's what sets them apart. Their work ethic was accompanied by maturity and class here. Being in that environment, that opportunity. I can't think of two people more deserving of this award. It has been the honor of my career to coach them.”
Both Simon and Oben contributed to their respective defenses being among the best in the country.
Simon led Ohio State with 104 tackles, seven sacks and seven passes defensed.
He was named defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl. He recorded 11 tackles and two sacks in the Buckeyes' lopsided win over Oregon.
In his first season at Notre Dame after spending the first five years of his career at Duke, Oben recorded 18 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Both had to be patient.
Simon waited his turn at Ohio State and finally made his mark as a fifth-year student.
Oben, the son of former Giants offensive lineman Roman Oben, didn't play as much as he wanted this year, but he had a big performance in the quarterfinals against Georgia with a strip sack.
Now, the two high school teammates will once again share the same field as opponents at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I talked to RJ a few days ago and it's always bigger than the rivalry or anything,” Simon said. “I'm just grateful that he's in the same position as me and that we can all share this moment together. We're very close, both from the same high school.
“There's a phrase called 'Prep for Life.' It's really profound. There's a lot of people from our high school, so we always try to stay connected. It means a lot to me.”
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Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon and Notre Dame defensive end RJ Oben.
The only problem for St. Peter's Prep and Hansen is choosing which team to go with. A former coach can't do that. But he dreams on Monday night.
“I’m rooting for the first 0-0 tie in national championship college football history,” Hansen joked. “That's the bad part of this whole thing. Somebody's going to lose and walk away, but neither of them deserve to lose. But I'm honestly going to enjoy their effort and I think they're really in this environment. I know I deserve it.”
