Had Simms known, who knows?

By RICK STROUD, Times staff writer
Published June 29, 2007

CRYSTAL RIVER - For more than three hours Thursday, Chris Simms was the Bucs' No. 1 quarterback again.

He had just led about a dozen kids from the Children's Home on an interactive tour of Kings Bay, swimming with manatees and free-diving the deep pools of Three Sisters Spring.

Whenever a snorkel was fumbled to the sandy bottom, Simms recovered it. If someone needed encouragement, he offered it. The large creatures are protected here, but it's also a place where Simms could seek refuge.

He stood on the shore with his wetsuit unzipped to his waist, revealing the 9-inch scar from surgery to remove his spleen last September. It's the only visible sign of why Simms' career in Tampa Bay might be endangered.

But there are other reasons. Simms is asked if he would've signed a two-year, $5-million extension with the Bucs last December had he known all that would transpire during this turbulent offseason?

"I don't know. I would've definitely re-evaluated the situation, " Simms said. ""That's an honest answer."

Instead, Simms is regaining the throwing mechanics he lost after developing some "bad habits" while unconsciously trying to protect his abdomen. And the 26-year-old lefty has an uphill battle to reclaim his job from 37-year-old Eagles free agent Jeff Garcia, who has been declared the leader in the clubhouse by coach Jon Gruden.

"But the bottom line is when it came time to re-sign and do that, (Garcia) wasn't here and I know I've loved it here up to this point and just can't see being anywhere else, " Simms said. "That's the whole reason my wife and I decided we wanted to stay here."

On sun splashed afternoons like Thursday, when Simms is the one stalking enormous mammals, it's easy to see why he stuck around.

Entering his fifth pro season, Simms still is popular in the Bucs locker room and in the community. His Wild Adventures initiative, which he started last year, combines his love of children, nature and animals.

Normally, the excursions include trips to the Lowry Park Zoo or Big Cat Rescue. But swimming with manatees? "It's unlike anything we've done so far, " Simms said. "That was cool that the kids could get out there, get into the water and get that close to a manatee."

Simms' guide on Thursday was Captain Traci Wood of Native Vacations, a former Michigan resident who vacationed in Crystal River in 1999. "I swam with a manatee and it was like a life-altering experience for me, " Wood said. She returned a few months later, got her captain's license and has been conducting manatee dives ever since.

The headwaters of Crystal River, fed by fresh water springs that produce 600 million gallons daily, are warmed to 72 degrees year round, attracting manatees who can't survive for long periods in water temperatures below 68 degrees.

In fact, Citrus County waters are the only place where hands-on interaction with the endangered manatees is permitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Hey, I work with some pretty large mammals, " Simms said. "These may be smarter. But I shouldn't say that or I'll get in trouble with my offensive linemen."

Simms admits he never saw the trouble with losing his passing stroke coming.

"When you're just out there throwing by yourself, it's a little easier than when you've got live action and real routes being run and everything like that, " Simms said. "It's not something I saw happening, as far as the mechanical thing. But it's not something I'm really worried about, either. ...

"I was trying to guard my torso, so I was throwing all with my arm and just short-arming it. I put myself in a bad position to throw the football."

Worse yet, Simms may enter training camp behind Garcia, Bruce Gradkowski and perhaps Luke McCown, at least based on reduced reps in the offseason.

"It's tough. Of course I want to be out there and taking all the reps, " he said. "That's part of being an athlete and being a competitor. But the time will come. I know when July comes, nobody is going to be begging for more reps."

Simms smiled. He glanced at the boat that was shoving off for lunch at a nearby restaurant. A manatee surfaced nearby.

For the moment, neither seemed endangered.

"Oh, I see myself battling for No. 1, " Simms said. ""Without a doubt. No doubt."

[Last modified June 28, 2007, 19:15:35]