The Phil Simms NJ North/ South Football Classic takes place 5 p.m., Sunday at Kean University. (Get tickets here).
This will be the 10th year and halftime will feature an All Star girls flag football game.
I spoke with Simms, about his Super Bowl winning career with the Giants, where he goes from here after being let go from CBS after 26 years ad his thoughts on the Giants, Jets, and Eagles.
"The kids all report on Friday, we get a couple of practices in, then a couple of practices on Saturday. And then Sunday night, the game goes. And it's really, like all sports, no matter what it is, now, everything is reaching new levels. But after a couple of practices, these kids go out there and play."
“Some do a little, but most do not. There's a field of respect. But they don't feel like they want to bother me, I used to go around and talk to them, I try to you know, try to touch them all, at least a little bit. I watched the offensive line, I watched the defensive line, I want to go those groups. And I'll make a couple of comments and really just have fun with them."
"And every day after practice, we have contests after every practice. It's my job to think of those contests. And it is one of the most fun, competitive, high-spirited things. This year, we're going to film them all and we're going to show him at our dinner on Saturday night. I know it's gonna be a big hit because the kids they do love that kind of stuff."
Oh, there's a lot. I'm gonna be as busy or more busy now than ever before. I think I kind of knew my this would be my last year at CBS. And I've been thinking about it planning a little bit. And you know, one thing I want to do, I want to stay involved with the NFL. I love following it. And it's my favorite thing of all, and I'm gonna actually get a chance to probably even be more out there visible."
"The one thing about doing podcasts, radio and other stuff, I have time to really express what I believe and what I know and what I can say about the coaches and players. That's what I love about it. I love telling the truth.
“It takes a lot of work to say up with 32 football teams during the NFL season. But that's great. The great thing that gets me going is that I can do it again this week, and I wake up Monday mornings after working all day Sunday at CBS. I can't wait to go in and start watching games and usually I start out with the Giants. Then I go to the rest of the league so I'm gonna do the same thing again this year."
"I like Daniel Jones. So I liked him coming out of college, his size and can run, he throws the ball beautifully. I think, of course, this is a career-defining year for him and maybe for the whole Giants organization."
"So what will success look like? Just to play better to be more competitive than they were last year. I'm not being a homer. I'll be surprised when we see the Giants that we don't see a difference in the team right away this year and I hope to see that, I think we will."
"It's big for Joe Shane, the general manager, the head coach, the quarterback, and a lot of players. And they just got to hang in there. And, you know, they had some moments last year where he went, Wow, this could have been the team they were. But I think what happened is the beginning of the season, the league is so fast, so dynamic. They just didn't handle it well. But I got high hopes. Not that I think they're going to be a Super Bowl team. I don't even know if they'll make the playoffs. But they got to show everybody and themselves, that they are definitely back on the road to getting better. Where we think the following year, they're going to be a big-time playoff team. That's what I expect. That's what I hope for is as a fan, as playing for the Giants and living in this area. That's what I want to see from them and the Jets.
"They're loaded. once again, for the third year in a row, you look at them and go on paper, as good as anybody in the NFL. And it was really hard to believe how it fell apart on them last year. I don't know exactly why."
Every position and player, maybe some of them didn't live up to who they should have been. But still they had so much talent that other people in other parts of the team should have covered up for it and got them to where they wanted to go."
"They hung in there. They at least made the playoffs. But the playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was awful. It really was. I don't see a really weak spot on the team. And the fact that they change coordinators, nothing against the ones that coach that team last year, but the coordinators this year are much better, more prepared, been through it more. And that experience is always a big deal when you talk about NFL teams.
Well, it's like the hottest position in any sport right now. I see it with my son, Matt, who will be down to Game Two and working with some of the kids during the few practices we have."
"You got to start earlier than ever before. The old days, they played three sports and those days are gone. You got to pick what you're kind of good at. It's almost a must that you start preparing to do that a little earlier in life. And I know that I did."
"I never threw the ball during the offseason. Not even once. I was playing baseball and working during the offseason. So but it's different now. And you got to start really, really creating the craft that you're going to do is continue to get better. And it's very, very competitive at the quarterback position. It's just going to keep getting better. So if you want to be part of a pro football team, play college football, man, you got to start a little early. I even tell parents that it's just the way it is in life now. We can't specialize in everything. You got to pick a couple of things and try to be great at them. And quarterback is definitely one of those positions.”
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Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt, Joe Votruba
