Thursday, September 7 FSU's quiet warrior sets tone for Seminole defense By Bill Doherty Special to ESPN.com

The unquestioned leader of the Florida State defense is 6-foot-4, 275-pound All-American nose guard Corey Simon. But Simon's road to superstardom -- everyone and their uncle has him listed as a top-10 NFL draft pick come spring -- hasn't been simple.

	FSU's Corey Simon has 21 tackles for losses this season.

Simon originally signed with Georgia from Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Fla (the same high school as Charlotte Hornets star Eddie Jones). He later asked for a release from the Bulldogs, who were investigated for illegal contacts with him before signing day in 1995. He then chose FSU.

"After that," he said, "the hardest part was getting on the field and staying there."

He underwent rotator cuff surgery after his senior season in high school. After redshirting in '95, he played in three games in 1996 before a shoulder injury finished his season. A pinched nerve in his neck cut into his playing time the next season.

Last season, Simon left one game with his left elbow hyperextended. He missed spring practice nine months ago with another shoulder injury, and played much of this season with a bad ankle. He's had surgery five times (each shoulder twice and his left knee) in five years.

"You don't question why," he said. "You trust your Christian faith. The Lord has tests for everyone like that."

Of Simon's 84 hits this season, 21 have been tackles for losses and another four were quarterback sacks. An interception against Virginia was one of the most impressive plays by a college defensive lineman this season. He also blocked a Cavaliers' punt. Simon surpassed former Seminoles All-American Ron Simmons for the single-season FSU record for tackles by a defensive lineman in a November win at Florida.

Simon also plays the piano and cello, and was in his high school's orchestra.

"Football is important to me," he said, "but so are other things. We've grown up a lot around here this season, and that means a lot to me. We have better leadership, and I think that's why our defense has gotten better.

"If we can win the national championship, it will be much sweeter because of the adversity we've been through, but everyone takes something different from the experience. I always tell people that character is one thing you don't learn. You grow into it."

Simon has grown into one of the nation's best, if you ask his head coach.

"Corey is a dominant force, but the average person doesn't see it because he's often being blocked by two or three guys," said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. "He's a terrific football player who has battled injury after injury here at Florida State, but who has never quit."

Hometown boy makes good
A Virginia Tech national championship won't sit well with Florida State fans, but it will for at least one Tallahasseean. Virginia Tech's Derrius Monroe wants to win college football's most coveted prize, and the Tallahassee native isn't bothered that it would come at the expense of Florida State, a team he still follows as a fan.

"Oh, yeah. I love Florida State," said Monroe. "After we beat them, I'll still love them.

"It's the biggest game of my life. It is a dream game."

Monroe, a 6-foot-4, 259-pound defensive end, is part of Virginia Tech's stingy defense. In fact, he's the man most likely to succeed all-everything rush end Corey Moore next fall. The No. 2 Hokies have allowed 20 points in a game only twice this season, the most Virginia Tech has allowed enroute to an 11-0 record and a berth in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 for the national championship. A redshirt sophomore, Monroe has seen action in every game this season -- averaging about 30 plays -- while amassing a total of 27 tackles. In three seasons at Blacksburg, Va., Monroe, a sociology major, is becoming known for his speed and strength.

Monroe was named Virginia Tech's Iron Hokie in the spring, an award given to the player who lifts the most weight in the power clean, bench lift and squat. He won the award behind a 420-pound bench press, and is now up to 450 pounds. Monroe has also run the 40 in 4.47 seconds, causing some people to think the local newspaper ran a misprint with his time.

"They didn't believe I ran it that fast," said Monroe, who considers his fast pass rush to be his best asset. "They thought it was a misprint. It wasn't."

Virginia Tech knew all about Monroe. Hokies coaches began contacting Monroe while he was still in the 11th grade. "They called me every other day since my junior year," Monroe said. "It's a great program and I knew it was a great program."

Monroe was a USA Today All-USA team and Tallahassee Democrat All-Big Bend selection after his senior season in which he had 85 tackles and 13 sacks. Monroe said he wanted to go to Florida State, but didn't pass one of the aptitude tests. Virginia Tech offered him a scholarship as a nonqualifier. Monroe, still holding hope at the time to go to Florida State, wasn't immediately sold on Virginia Tech or Blacksburg. Monroe also visited Syracuse, but was swayed to the Hokies by the coaching staff's constant interest in him and by a persuasive living room visit from coach Frank Beamer.

"He talked to me like a person, not a football player," Monroe said of Beamer. Beamer said the program could go places -- the school had begun to make a name for itself as one of the Big East's best teams, and had assembled some good recruiting classes.

But a national title?

"I thought it was possible, but I really didn't think we could do it," Monroe said of Virginia Tech, which is making its seventh straight bowl appearance.

Eleven wins later, Monroe will now play in the title game against FSU, a team he sat and watched many times in Tallahassee at Doak Campbell Stadium. Monroe will have six family members in the stands at the Superdome, a number of which are converted FSU fans.

Monroe's father, Arthur Jackson, for one, has switched allegiances -- for atleast this game. "I am a Florida State fan, except for Jan. 4," Jackson, said. "I am an avid Florida State fan, but unfortunately they are playing Virginia Tech."

No quit in Kittner
There isn't much mystery as to what Virginia (7-4) needs to do to defeat Illinois (7-4) this Thursday night in the MicronPC Bowl. The Illini's ground game isn't any great shakes. In fact, Virginia's all-everything tailback Thomas Jones (1,789 yards) has outrushed the entire Illini team (1,757) by himself.

So, in order to win this week, the Cavaliers defense must put tons of pressure on Illinois quarterback Kurt Kittner, who has made remarkable strides between his freshman and sophomore seasons. Last year, Kittner was the first Fighting Illini freshman to start in 56 years and it showed. Kittner had happy feet in the pocket. He also had his fair share of problems adjusting to the speed of the college game. The result? Kittner's TD-to-interception was 1-to-7. No, that's not a misprint.

But, instead of putting his head down and quitting, Kittner just kept working hard. The reason? Nothing has come easy in life to Kittner. His mother Lee Trantin was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Kurt was only 3. Kittner's parents were divorced when he was in kindergarten.

"My mom's not a complainer. She doesn't ask for help," says Kittner. "She just wants me to happy."

Kittner is. This season, the 6-3, 205-pound sophomore threw 22 TD passes, matching Jeff George's school record set in 1989. The Illini, picked to be a Big Ten bottomfeeder, finished with its best record since 1990 and its first bowl appearance since 1994.

"It's been great prove people wrong this year," admits Kittner. "Hopefully, this is just the start of some great things here at Illinois."

Well armed
University of Miami (Fla.) coach Butch Davis will probably play two quarterbacks in the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl vs. Georgia Tech, if Kenny Kelly is recovered from his knee injury. Kelly, who missed the past three regular season games because of a left knee injury, insists he is ready to play against Georgia Tech.

"I'm ready to go full speed," said Kelly, who has been cleared to play by the team's doctor after tearing his left medial collateral ligament. "There's no pain. I'm feeling good."

Ken Dorsey, a freshman who went 3-0 while Kelly was out, would be the starter if the game were held today, Davis said. Dorsey has been getting the bulk of the snaps with the first-team offense.

"It's conceivable that both may play," said Davis, who won't make a decision until closer to game time. "Kelly has really improved a lot. And Dorsey did an outstanding job at the end of the season. If they are both 100 percent healthy, they'll probably both play."

Kelly threw for 1,913 yards and 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in nine games for the 23rd-ranked Hurricanes (8-4). Dorsey, who saw action in six games, passed for 807 yards and 10 TDs with just two interceptions.

"Right now, I'm preparing like I'm going to be the starter," Dorsey said. "If not, I'm not. But I wish I knew for sure so I could put my mind at ease. We're playing Georgia Tech, and we understand that it's a game we should win. We know that whichever quarterback is out there will get the job done."

Bill Doherty, a freelance writer from Bethlehem, Pa., is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.