NFL Rookie Obsessed with Notebooks and Silence? The Strange Habits Powering KC’s Top Pick!

Josh Simmons isn’t your typical NFL rookie. Sure, he’s 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, and a first-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs. But what truly sets him apart isn’t his size or draft status—it’s the quiet, obsessive routines that are already making waves within the organization. From color-coded scouting notebooks to solo midnight training sessions, Simmons is building his NFL future not through flash, but through focus.

The Notebook Obsession

While most linemen rely solely on film sessions and team prep, Simmons takes it a step further. He began a unique habit during his college years at Ohio State—creating personal scouting notebooks for every opponent he faced. Each notebook includes color-coded entries tracking different pass-rushing styles: red for speed rushers, blue for bull rushers, green for spin moves. He fills the pages with notes on hand placement, body lean, footwork counters, and situational tendencies.

“Josh studies film like a quarterback,” said a former Ohio State assistant coach. “It’s rare to see a lineman that invested in the intellectual side of the game. He’s trying to understand not just how to block a guy—but why that guy does what he does.”

Now in Kansas City, that same habit has followed him into the pros. Simmons continues to compile notes on every defensive lineman he’s expected to face in the AFC. His detailed observations now include how pass rushers shift their techniques on third downs, or what formations signal an inside stunt. Chiefs coaches have even started referring to him as the “film room junkie,” citing his unmatched attention to detail.

The Midnight Grinder

But Simmons isn’t just a student of the game—he’s a relentless worker, too. Perhaps the most unusual part of his routine is what happens after the facility lights go out.

Almost nightly, Simmons returns to the practice field alone. With no trainers, no cameras, and no social media posts to capture the moment, he works quietly under the lights. Footwork drills, punch technique, shadow reps against imaginary defenders—he does it all in total silence.

“I like the quiet,” Simmons said. “It’s just me and the field. That’s where I clean up the mistakes and sharpen the small stuff.”

Teammates have noticed. Some say they’ve caught glimpses of him late at night, drenched in sweat, silently refining the same step or move over and over. One veteran called it “old-school work ethic with a new-school twist.”

A Star in the Making

As Simmons enters his first NFL season, he’s already turning heads—not with viral highlights, but with old-fashioned discipline and strange-but-effective habits. His coaches praise his preparation. His teammates respect his grind. And fans are beginning to take notice of the rookie who seems more monk than mauler.

In a league obsessed with flash, Josh Simmons is quietly building a foundation that could last a decade. And he’s doing it one notebook page—and one silent rep—at a time.