There were far fewer playing days than Chris Simms was probably hoping for in his football career. However, the exact opposite is true in his media career. The rising star will be part of NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl LVI this week. He spoke with the media yesterday and said that it is fitting to be a part of the game’s return to Los Angeles.
“L.A. is a special place for me with the Super Bowl,” he said Tuesday on a conference call. “I don’t know if I would be here if it wasn’t for the L.A. Super Bowl, my dad’s Super Bowl XXI. It’s cool to be here on a personal level.”
Phil Simms was the MVP of the New York Giants’ Super Bowl XXI win over the Denver Broncos. He threw for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 39-20 win. He is also credited with starting the “I’m going to Disney World!” tradition by shouting the phrase after the game.
Chris Simms says it isn’t about nepotism. That moment made it clear that he wanted his future to be about football.
“It of course was increasing my love of football, and I was young at the time, six-and-a-half. But just another boost in the direction of, wow, I want to be a part of this. I want to play football. I want to be a part of the NFL.”
The performance solidified his dad as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at the time. It remains one of the iconic Super Bowl performances.
While Chris Simms acknowledges that his name and his dad’s success did play a role in getting him where he is, Simms continues to impress in the broadcasting world. NBC has used him on Football Night in America and its coverage of Notre Dame football on Saturdays. The company has also given him his own show on Peacock called Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
Simms will be part of for Super Bowl LVI, contributing analysis during the pregame show, which begins at 1 pm Eastern time on Sunday.
