Phil Simms' advice to Tony Romo: Be a leader

Phil Simms' advice to Tony Romo: Be a leader
04:59 PM CST on Saturday, March 7, 2009




Phil Simms spent his 14 NFL seasons all with the New York Giants. He was the most valuable player in Super Bowl XXI, a 39-20 Giants victory over the Denver Broncos. He retired after the 1993 season and went into broadcasting He worked for ESPN and NBC before joining CBS as its lead NFL analyst in 1998. His son Chris played quarterback at the University of Texas from 1999 to 2002. Simms spoke to Hot Air after the Cowboys cut wide receiver Terrell Owens and made it clear he would not want Owens on his team.
What's the most important thing Tony Romo needs to do next season?


Take control of the Cowboys' offense. When you are the starting quarterback of a NFL team, there will always be factions on your team that don't like you. Some players are jealous of your status. Others think you are overrated. Still others won't like your personality. That's fine. As a quarterback you have to ignore that. You have to lead. You can't worry about being liked.

You played for Bill Parcells for eight seasons. What was his take on quarterbacks as leaders?


Bill Parcells once took me aside and told me how disappointed he was in me. He said, "You used to be a leader but now you are trying to be everyone's friend." He made the point. ... Tony Romo is borderline tremendous. He can be a dominating presence on the football team because he has the talent to back it up.

And your thoughts about John Kitna, the Cowboys' new backup quarterback?


He's a great backup quarterback. He's what I call a "closet talented guy." He can throw the ball. He stays in great shape and is a tough guy who won't back down.

Did your son Chris, who signed with the Denver Broncos this week, ever come close to signing with the Cowboys?


They did look at Christopher before he signed with Tennessee last season, but he wasn't physically ready to play then. He's in 100 percent great shape now. The Cowboys didn't look at him after the season. They wanted a veteran backup.

What about Wade Phillips?


Someone has to take complete control of the team. There is no middle ground. There are ways to communicate and still be the man in charge. In Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin is thought to be a players' coach, but when you walk around there, as I did a bunch last season, you know who is in charge. More importantly, the players do too.

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