Phil Simms facts for kids
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Simms in 2019
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | November 3, 1955 Springfield, Kentucky, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 216 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Southern (Louisville, Kentucky) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Morehead State (1974–1978) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1979 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Phillip Martin Simms (born November 3, 1955) is a former American football quarterback. He played for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons.
Simms was picked by the Giants as the seventh player overall in the 1979 NFL draft. He became the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Super Bowl XXI. In that game, he led the Giants to a 39–20 win over the Denver Broncos. He set records for the highest completion percentage (88%) and highest passer rating (150.9) in a Super Bowl. These records still stand today. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1985 and 1993.
He ended his playing career with 33,462 passing yards. After retiring, Simms became a well-known NFL broadcaster. He worked as an analyst for ESPN, then as a commentator for NBC and CBS. He left CBS in 2024. Phil Simms is also the father of two former NFL quarterbacks, Chris Simms and Matt Simms.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Phil Simms was born in Springfield, Kentucky. His family later moved to Louisville, Kentucky. He played quarterback for Southern High School in Louisville. He graduated in 1974.
College Football Career
Simms decided to play college football at Morehead State in Kentucky. This school was part of NCAA Division II.
His college team, the Morehead State Eagles, used a "ball-control" offense. This meant they ran the ball a lot, so Simms didn't throw many passes. In his senior year, he completed 92 of 173 passes (53.2% completion rate). He threw six touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. He finished his college career with 5,545 passing yards, which was a school record.
Professional Football Journey
Joining the NFL: The Draft Story
Before the 1979 NFL draft, San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh was very impressed with Simms. Walsh wanted to draft him later, but the New York Giants picked Simms much earlier. They chose him as the seventh player overall.
Many people were surprised by this choice because Simms was not very well known. Giants fans at the draft even booed when his name was called. Simms himself wasn't thrilled at first, but he soon became popular with his teammates.
Rookie Success and Early Challenges
Simms started his rookie year in 1979 very well. He won his first five games as a starter. He finished the season with 1,743 passing yards and 13 touchdown passes. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
However, the next few years were tough for Simms. He faced injuries and played inconsistently. In 1981, he hurt his shoulder. In 1982, he missed the entire season with a torn knee ligament. After the 1982 season, Bill Parcells became the Giants' new head coach. This change would be very important for Simms and the team.
Overcoming Injuries and Becoming a Leader
In 1983, Coach Parcells initially benched Simms. Simms then suffered another serious injury to his throwing hand. During his recovery, Simms started studying game films more closely. This helped him understand NFL defenses better. He also began a new strength training program to prevent future injuries.
In 1984, Simms finally became a strong leader for the Giants. He threw for 4,044 yards and 22 touchdown passes. He led the Giants to the playoffs. He was also voted to the Pro Bowl and named its MVP. In 1985, he threw for 3,829 yards and 22 touchdowns. In one game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Simms threw for an amazing 513 yards. This was one of the highest passing yard totals in NFL history.
Super Bowl XXI Champion
The 1986 season was incredible for Simms and the Giants. They won 14 games. On January 25, 1987, the Giants played the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. Simms played one of the best games ever seen in a Super Bowl.
He completed 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards. This set Super Bowl records for consecutive completions (10), accuracy (88%), and passer rating (150.9). He also threw 3 touchdown passes. Coach Bill Parcells said, "This might be the best game a quarterback has ever played." The Giants won the Super Bowl 39–20, and Simms was named the Super Bowl MVP. He was the first person to say "I'm going to Disney World!" after winning a championship.
Later Career and Retirement
Simms continued to play well after the Super Bowl win. In 1990, he was having another great season, leading the NFC in passer rating. However, his season ended early when he broke his foot in Week 15. The Giants went on to win Super Bowl XXV that year, with Jeff Hostetler playing quarterback.
After the 1990 season, Bill Parcells left the Giants. Simms faced more injuries in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, a new coach, Dan Reeves, made Simms the starting quarterback again. Simms started all 16 games and led the Giants to an 11–5 record and a playoff win. After the 1993 season, he had shoulder surgery. Even though the surgery was successful, the Giants released him. Simms then decided to retire from football.
In his 14 seasons with the Giants, Simms completed 2,576 passes for 33,462 yards and 199 touchdowns. He held many Giants team records when he retired.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Super Bowl MVP | |
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Performance
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | ||
| 1979 | NYG | 12 | 11 | 6–5 | 134 | 265 | 50.6 | 1,743 | 6.6 | 13 | 14 | 66.0 |
| 1980 | NYG | 13 | 13 | 3–10 | 193 | 402 | 48.0 | 2,321 | 5.8 | 15 | 19 | 58.9 |
| 1981 | NYG | 10 | 10 | 5–5 | 172 | 316 | 54.4 | 2,031 | 6.4 | 11 | 9 | 74.0 |
| 1983 | NYG | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 13 | 53.8 | 130 | 10.0 | 0 | 1 | 56.6 |
| 1984 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 9–7 | 286 | 533 | 53.7 | 4,044 | 7.6 | 22 | 18 | 78.1 |
| 1985 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 10–6 | 275 | 495 | 55.6 | 3,829 | 7.7 | 22 | 20 | 78.6 |
| 1986 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 14–2 | 259 | 468 | 55.3 | 3,487 | 7.5 | 21 | 22 | 74.6 |
| 1987 | NYG | 9 | 9 | 4–5 | 163 | 282 | 57.8 | 2,230 | 7.9 | 17 | 9 | 90.0 |
| 1988 | NYG | 15 | 15 | 9–6 | 253 | 479 | 54.9 | 3,359 | 7.0 | 21 | 11 | 82.1 |
| 1989 | NYG | 15 | 15 | 11–4 | 228 | 405 | 56.3 | 3,061 | 7.6 | 14 | 14 | 77.6 |
| 1990 | NYG | 14 | 14 | 11–3 | 184 | 311 | 59.2 | 2,284 | 7.3 | 15 | 4 | 92.7 |
| 1991 | NYG | 6 | 4 | 1–3 | 82 | 141 | 58.3 | 993 | 7.0 | 8 | 4 | 87.0 |
| 1992 | NYG | 4 | 4 | 1–3 | 83 | 137 | 60.6 | 812 | 6.7 | 5 | 3 | 83.3 |
| 1993 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 247 | 400 | 61.8 | 3,038 | 7.6 | 15 | 9 | 88.3 |
| Total | 164 | 159 | 95–64 | 2,576 | 4,647 | 55.4 | 33,462 | 7.2 | 199 | 157 | 78.5 | |
Playoff Performance
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | ||
| 1984 | NYG | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 47 | 75 | 62.7 | 397 | 5.3 | 0 | 2 | 65.2 |
| 1985 | NYG | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 29 | 66 | 67.1 | 390 | 5.9 | 2 | 1 | 67.1 |
| 1986 | NYG | 3 | 3 | 3–0 | 38 | 58 | 65.5 | 494 | 8.5 | 8 | 0 | 131.8 |
| 1989 | NYG | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 14 | 29 | 48.3 | 180 | 6.2 | 0 | 1 | 53.8 |
| 1990 | NYG | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | ||||||||
| 1993 | NYG | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 29 | 51 | 56.9 | 218 | 4.3 | 0 | 2 | 50.9 |
| Total | 10 | 10 | 6–4 | 157 | 279 | 56.3 | 1,679 | 6.0 | 10 | 6 | 77.0 | |
Giants Team Records Held by Simms
As of 2017, Phil Simms still held several New York Giants franchise records, including:
- Most Passing Yards in a single game: 513 (against Cincinnati in 1985)
- Most Passing Yards in a game as a rookie: 300 (against San Francisco in 1979)
- Best Passer Rating in a playoff season: 131.8 (1986)
- Best Passer Rating in a playoff game: 150.9 (Super Bowl XXI against Denver in 1987)
- Most times sacked in a career: 477
- Most times sacked in a season: 55 (1984)
- Most 300+ yard passing games as a rookie: 1
Life After Football
On September 4, 1995, the Giants honored Phil Simms by retiring his jersey number. During a special ceremony, Simms wanted to throw one last pass to his former teammate, Lawrence Taylor. Taylor caught the pass, and the crowd cheered loudly.
After retiring as a player in 1994, Simms became a sports broadcaster. He first worked for ESPN. Then, he joined NBC's main broadcast team, covering Super Bowl XXX and Super Bowl XXXII. He also announced weightlifting at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
In 1998, Simms moved to CBS. He became a lead commentator for NFL games, often working with Jim Nantz. He also hosted Inside the NFL on Showtime. In 2017, he joined the CBS pregame show The NFL Today. He left CBS in 2024.
Simms has also appeared in video games and on TV shows. He was a commentator in several Madden NFL video games. He co-hosted the Miss Universe 2002 pageant. He also made guest appearances on TV shows like As the World Turns, The Price Is Right, How I Met Your Mother, and Elementary.
Personal Life
Phil Simms and his wife, Diana, live in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. They have three children: Chris, Deirdre, and Matt. His son-in-law, Brian Toal, also played in the NFL. Simms enjoys living in New Jersey.
In 2011, Simms was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Phil Simms para niños
- History of the New York Giants (1979–1993)
- List of 500-yard passing games in the National Football League
