Ever since he was in the third grade, Hayden Simon wanted to play college football. He dreamed of playing at The Ohio State University, a school with an a enrollment near the population of Umatilla County.

Now, a decade later, Simon has realized his childhood dream, signing with Montana State University-Northern in Havre, Montana last week, joining a program trying to pull itself out of an 0-11 (0-10 Frontier Conference) season at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level.

Simon will play middle linebacker and perhaps get a few opportunities to run the ball, something he did as a senior at Hermiston.

“I just really liked their academic program,” he said. And, while taking his visit in late January, he discovered that he “really liked the people there. That basically what did it for me.”

Academically, Northern provided some things the Simon family was excited to see. It has a relatively small enrollment (1,037 undergraduates for the 2015 fiscal year) which means the student-professor ratio is about 14-1

Simon started playing football in fourth grade and was coached, in part, by his dad Mike, who helped oversee Simon’s football teams until he reached middle school. When Simon was about to make the transition into seventh grade football, Mike got an inkling that his son might have the tools to continue playing.

“I started noticing when he was sixth grade entering into junior high,” Mike said. “He had the ability athletic-wise to go to the next level of football, whether it’s high school, onto the varsity, and then college. Ultimately it was on Hayden and his work ethic to get there.”

A three-year starter at Hermiston, Simon was an anchor on the Bulldogs’ defense, which was one of the best units in the state as the Bulldogs won the state championship in his junior season. In total, Simon recorded 180 total tackles, 79 solos, 86 assists, 3.0 sacks, 13.0 tackles for loss, two fumbles recovered, three fumbles forced, six passes defended, three hurries and two blocked punts. As a running back his senior year, Simon carried 60 times in Hermiston’s zone scheme and accumulated 299 yards and a touchdown, good for a 5.0 yards per carry average.

Simon’s best season in terms of tackles was is first at the varsity level, making 71 total stops, 37 of which were solo jobs. His best statistical season, though, was his junior campaign that resulted in a state title. His 63 total tackles was sixth on the team and his 11.0 tackles for loss tied Jessee Rodelo for fifth. His two blocked punts came that year, as well as his five pass deflections.

In fact, his most memorable play from that season was knocking down what would have been a sure touchdown pass in a 31-27 loss at Coeur d’Alene, a loss that likely propelled the Bulldogs to its only title. He made an impact right away, recording eight tackles in his first varsity game, a 48-7 trouncing of Rex Putnam.

Simon said his decision to attend Northern came rather quickly. He visited the campus in Havre a few weeks back and essentially knew then he would later sign. His position coach at MSU-Northern, linebackers coach Arthur Smith, made an impact on Simon right away.

“He’s just a cool dude,” Simon said of Smith. “If you meet him, he’s just super cool.”

There were a couple other schools in the mix. He exchanged emails with Eastern Washington several times, but Simon never seriously considered the Eagles, he said. Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kansas was also in the running. He had also been in contact with several local schools, including Eastern Oregon, but really wanted to leave the area and “have the full experience away from my parents.” Havre is about a 10-hour drive from Hermiston.

For his parents, Mike and Deannie, there wasn’t any interference from them regarding their son’s choice. They like the campus, like the town of Havre, which is similarly sized, and don’t mind he’s going about 650 miles away from home.

“We’ll be at every game,” Mike said matter-of-factly. “I enjoy watching Hayden. It makes me proud to watch him play.”