Team Reiterates Admiration For Gutsy Simms Katherine Smith, The Tampa Tribune, published 25 September 2006 Most Bucs players were home Sunday when they heard the news teammate QB Chris Simms had undergone emergency surgery. They knew he was hurt during the game. They could sense it from his actions in the huddle. But they didn't realize how bad it was until later in the day. Coach Jon Gruden visited with Simms at the hospital Monday morning and his teammates are making plans to stop by. While they're thinking of Simms, they're also embracing the Bucs' new starting QB, Bruce Gradkowski. "He's going to take his lumps," injured QB Luke McCown said. "He's going to make some bad decisions and he's going to do some bonehead things. The biggest thing we can do when he's running off the field after he's made a bad decision or something, say, 'Hey, keep your head up and we'll get the ball back for you.' Just rally around him and have faith in the kid." It was only last week that Gruden asked the team to support Simms, who had struggled mightily in his first two games. After his early interception against Carolina, Simms settled down and helped the Bucs erase a 17-point deficit. That he did it with a serious injury further endeared Simms to his teammates. "That part is unbelievable, how he was able to play with that," LB Ryan Nece said. "Sometimes your adrenalin and your mind, you don't know you're hurt, you don't think you're hurt." Simms already had the respect of his teammates, but they think he proved a lot to Bucs fans. "He's been getting his knocks from the fans and the media for the way he's been playing," P Josh Bidwell said. "By him playing the way he did [Sunday], it's just a tribute to Chris' character. You can't question his passion or desire to play this game." One of the first things Carolina coach John Fox did Monday morning was place a call to the Bucs to check on Simms. While he was with the New York Giants, Fox lived close to the Simms family and got to know Chris. The news of Simms' injury surprised Fox because of the handshake they shared on the field following the Panthers' come-from-behind victory. "The kid came up to me after the game," Fox said. "I had no idea until later [Sunday] night after we arrived back in Charlotte. Obviously, he seemed disappointed. Whoever lost that game was going to be disappointed. I didn't know he was that injured at that point."