The Bucs quarterback enjoys life as a father, as a young player - and, for the first time, as the established starter.
By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
Published July 23, 2006
[Times photo: Bill Serne]
Bucs quarterback Chris Simms accompanied 11 kids from the Children's Home in Tampa on a recent Busch Gardens trip, including a giraffe feeding.
TAMPA - Children hugged his waist like a belt as Chris Simms held a piece of lettuce above his head and patted the long, slender neck of Dolly, a 16-foot giraffe looking for a snack.
The Serengeti Safari trucks at Busch Gardens were filled with kids from the Children's Home in Tampa, and midway through the excursion, Simms hopped between vehicles so nobody would feel slighted.
This summer, the Bucs quarterback arranged field trips to the Big Cat Rescue and the Tampa Aquarium. It's part of Simms' charitable initiative he named Wild Adventures, which also could describe the start of his pro career.
Simms pulled a cell phone from his pocket and snapped a picture to send to his wife, Danielle, who was at home with the couple's 1-month-old daughter.
"I've always loved kids," Simms said. "They're so innocent, so pure of heart."
How appropriate. Those childlike qualities have endeared Simms to teammates, coaches and fans.
He is nearly 26, but looks and acts much younger. Though wise beyond his years thanks to a rich football pedigree, Simms' mussed blond hair and charismatic good looks gives him a sanitized image that is rare in pro sports.
At a time when players will change teams to chase a dollar, Simms leaped at a chance to remain with the Bucs by signing a one-year, $2.1-million offer rather than explore his opportunities as a restricted free agent. For the first time since his college days at Texas, he will enter training camp as the starting quarterback.
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The truth is, there has never been a better time to be Simms. How delicious is his life? He is rich, with a rocket arm, he has a beautiful wife and his first child, Sienna Rose, was born (of course) on Father's Day.
"At first, we all thought she looked like my wife. But as of late, everyone is saying she looks like me," Simms said. "I think I'm starting to agree. Her eyes are blue, but they're dark blue. She has my coloring. She's very white, no olive skin like my wife. I don't know, I think she might have some of my genes."
Fatherhood certainly suits Simms, who wanted to start a family right away because he had always wished he had been older to enjoy the career of his father, Giants Super Bowl quarterback Phil Simms.
"I haven't changed a diaper yet, so I'll tell you that now and get it out of the way," Simms said. "The great thing is, I'm not terribly busy right now, so I try to help out in the middle of the night as much as possible. The other day, the wife went out by the pool and I kind of took care of the baby. I enjoy just putting her on my chest and watching TV and kind of falling asleep with her."
But as they say, youth is wasted on the young. Simms struggles with the knowledge that this is the best time of his young life and the stress of working long hours to establish his career.
"I'm definitely very thankful and fortunate. I'll be the first to tell you that," Simms said. "I realize that it's a great time in my life. There's a lot of great things about being the quarterback of an NFL team. But there's always work to be done. There's always new challenges.
"It's something I've kind of had to teach myself. When I was younger, I was always somewhat of a stress ball, I was always thinking about what I have to do, the next thing."
Simms had reason to worry last year after taking over for Brian Griese, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. His first start against the 49ers was inauspicious. He was sacked five times and threw two interceptions in a 15-10 loss.
"When we watch clips with Coach (Jon Gruden) every now and then, as soon as I see it come on, I cringe a little bit," Simms said. "It just was bad. I knew I was going to play better. I really did. I knew I couldn't play any worse."
Simms played nearly a flawless first half the following week against Carolina but the Bucs still trailed by 10 at halftime. He blew any chance of a comeback by throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Simms rebounded by winning six of the next eight games, including five straight against the NFC South, to lead the Bucs to a division title.
"I think everyone understands very clearly that this guy went out and won this job," quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett said. "He came from nowhere. Two years ago, he gets hurt against New Orleans in the first quarter and then the way he played against Arizona (in '04), everyone is saying, "s---." But he went out and put together a string that everybody said, 'You know what? This guy deserves to be our guy.' So I think it's the excitement of saying that was my first shot across the bow but I get a chance now to see it as something I can develop and grow with. I've got a chance now to put something together. I think there's a little bit of a calmness, there's a little bit of a quiet confidence.
"It's still early, it's his first year as a starter but the signs are marvelous. Think about all the fourth quarters, think about the positions we put him in over and over again. And he was calm and steady."
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Simms knows the margin between success and failure is as thin as parchment. Just consider last season. Simms lost his first two games as a starter, and Tampa Bay trailed the Redskins late in the fourth quarter. Though he played brilliantly, the Bucs appeared to have lost the game because of two miscues by Simms.
Late in the fourth quarter, he overthrew receiver Joey Galloway, who was forced to make a one-handed, diving catch of what should've been an easy touchdown pass. Then on fourth down, Simms missed Galloway on a crossing route as the confused Redskins safeties collided with each other. Instead, Simms opted inside to throw incomplete to running back Michael Pittman, who was covered in the end zone.
Fortunately for the Simms, the Bucs defense gave him another chance by holding on third and 2 when a first down would've ended the game. Simms connected with Edell Shepherd for a touchdown and Mike Alstott followed with the winning two-point conversion run.
"There's going to be questions about who he is and what he is," general manager Bruce Allen said. "Talk about being a fan. You can't root for anyone to do better than Chris Simms."
Despite the increased attention, Simms is careful not to present himself as a quarterback who has arrived in the NFL. In fact, it's just the opposite. It has taken some arm twisting by the team's media relations staff to get him to pose alone for photo sessions.
That kind of humility is rare in the me-first culture of professional sports.
"It's the intangibles," Gruden said of Simms. "Players like this guy. Love this guy. And I think the charisma that he has with his teammates a strength of his."
The wild adventure is about to continue. But Simms expects it to be a nice, smooth ride through the park.
"I feel actually less pressure," Simms said. "Because I think last year I was going in wondering when am I going to start? What have I got to do? Now I know I've just got to go out and play well and it's simple. The facts are in front of you, you've just got to go do it. It's what I've always wanted, it's what I'm used to. These last few years have thrown me off track a little bit. I'm ready to go."
