Matt Simms

Matt Simms
No. 4 Atlanta Falcons
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1988-09-27) September 27, 1988
Place of birth: Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school: Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco
College: Tennessee
Undrafted: 2012
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status: Practice squad
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2014
Pass attempts: 39
Pass completions: 19
Percentage: 48.7
TD–INT: 1–1
Passing Yards: 195
Passer rating: 61.4
Player stats at NFL.com

Matthew Phillip Simms[1] (born September 27, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He played college football at Tennessee.

Simms is the younger son of former New York Giants quarterback and Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms and younger brother of former NFL quarterback Chris Simms.[2]

Early life and high school

Simms was born in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey to Diana and Phil Simms. His older brother, Chris, played quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following an extraordinary career at Ramapo High School. Matt attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey where he played quarterback for three years.[3] During this time he passed for more than 6,000 yards and 60 touchdowns. Though the team lost the state championship game his junior year, he was selected as a first team All-State player by the Associated Press. The next year they went undefeated and won the state title. After his senior year he played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[4]

College

After graduating from high school Simms received a scholarship to the University of Louisville.[5] During his freshman year he saw limited action, playing in two games and throwing four passes. Simms then left Louisville to attend El Camino College in Torrance, California. While at El Camino he led the team to its fourth consecutive league title and threw for over 2,000 yards in ten games.[4]

Simms later left El Camino for the University of Tennessee. As a child, he always had a dislike for Tennessee's rival, the University of Florida.[6] During the 2010 season he played in ten games and threw for over 1,400 yards.[7]

During the 2010 season Simms was hampered by injuries to key receivers.[8] He lost the starting job late in the season due to poor performance.[9][10]

Matt Simms' performance was the subject of a widely reported "heated dispute" between Desmond Howard and Phil Simms during the week before Super Bowl XLV.[10]

Professional career

New York Jets

2012

Simms was signed by the New York Jets on May 6, 2012.[11] He was waived on August 31, 2012.[12] Simms signed a future/reserve contract on December 31, 2012.[13]

2013

Simms received playing time during the preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 17, 2013. He completed all five of his passes for 73 yards.[14] Simms played the following week against the New York Giants completing 6 of his 10 pass attempts for 120 yards and a touchdown.[15] On August 29, the final preseason contest, Simms started and played the entire game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He completed 33 of his 44 pass attempts for 285 yards.[16]

Simms threw his first career touchdown pass to tight end Jeff Cumberland in a Week 11 14-37 loss to the Buffalo Bills.[17] During Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, Simms came in relief of starter Geno Smith in the third quarter; he completed 9 of his 18 passes for 79 yards with an interception and a lost fumble in the Jets' 3–23 loss. Simms appeared in 3 games of the 2013 season and finished the year with 156 passing yards.

2014

Simms, an exclusive rights free agent, was re-signed by the Jets on January 13, 2014.[18] He was released on August 30, 2014 during the team's final roster cuts[19] and signed to the team's practice squad a day later.[20] He was promoted to the active roster on November 1, 2014.[21]

Simms signed a one-year contract to remain with the Jets on December 30, 2014.[22] However, after the team drafted Bryce Petty and signed undrafted rookie Jake Heaps, Simms requested his release and was granted it on May 28, 2015.[23][24]

Buffalo Bills

2015

The Buffalo Bills claimed Simms off waivers on May 29, 2015.[25] Simms was not expected to compete in the three-way competition for the starting quarterback position (Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel) but was in the mix as a potential backup quarterback and was given the start for the Bills' final preseason game against the Detroit Lions on September 3. Late in that game, Simms, while trying to break a tackle, inadvertently threw the ball 20 yards backward, creating a loose-ball situation and setting the Lions up for the game-winning score.[26] Simms was released the next day.[27]

Atlanta Falcons

On September 7, 2015, Simms was signed to the Falcons' practice squad.[28]

References

  1. ↑ "ESPN Profile". ESPN.com.
  2. ↑ Feldman, Bruce (16 December 2009). "Source: Juco QB Simms signs with Vols". ESPN.com. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  3. ↑ Staff. "Matt Simms leading candidate to be starting QB for Tennessee", The Star-Ledger, May 11, 2010. Accessed February 22, 2011. "Simms, a Franklin Lakes resident and graduate of Don Bosco Prep, started his college career at Louisville, but transferred after his freshman year to El Camino, a junior college."
  4. 1 2 "Matt Simms Player Bio". Tennessee Football. Utsports.com. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  5. ↑ Holmes, Baxter (2 September 2009). "Matt Simms and Nate Montana take a step back". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  6. ↑ Segrest, Doug (29 September 2010). "UT's Matt Simms has Super Bowl pedigree -- and a distaste for Gators". The Birmingham News. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  7. ↑ "Matt Simms Profile". ESPN College Football. ESPN. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  8. ↑ Hunt, John (6 September 2010). "Oregon football: Tennessee's Matt Simms needs his receivers to get experienced - and fast". The Oregonian. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  9. ↑ Smith, Erick (9 April 2010). "Matt Simms looks to be the quarterback at Tennessee as competition quits team". USA Today. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  10. 1 2 Gardner, Tim (5 February 2011). "CBS analyst Phil Simms, Desmond Howard get into 'heated' dispute". USA Today. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  11. ↑ Vrentas, Jenny (6 May 2012). "Jets sign QB Matt Simms, son of Phil Simms". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  12. ↑ Lange, Randy (31 August 2012). "Final 7 Cuts Announced, Roster's Now at 53". New York Jets. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  13. ↑ Jets Media Relations Department (31 December 2012). "Jets Sign 8 to Reserve/Future Contracts". New York Jets. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  14. ↑ Associated Press (17 August 2013). "Uneven Mark Sanchez plays into 3rd quarter of Jets' win vs. Jags". ESPN. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  15. ↑ Associated Press (24 August 2013). "Jets 24, Giants 21, OT". ESPN. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  16. ↑ Associated Press (29 August 2013). "Simms impressive as Jets top Eagles 27-20". ESPN. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  17. ↑ "Jets notes: Milestone for Matt.Simms". Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  18. ↑ Pelzman, J.P. (January 13, 2014). "Matt Simms, Jets agree to one-year deal". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  19. ↑ Lange, Randy (August 30, 2014). "Jets Make Final Cuts to Get to 53". New York Jets. Archived from the original on August 30, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
  20. ↑ Lange, Randy (August 31, 2014). "Seven Signed to Jets Practice Squad". New York Jets. Archived from the original on August 31, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  21. ↑ David Smith, Michael. "Jets activate quarterback Matt Simms from the practice squad". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  22. ↑ Lange, Randy (December 30, 2014). "Jets Sign Simms, Plus 8 to Reserve/Future Deals". New York Jets. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  23. ↑ Lange, Randy (May 28, 2015). "Jets Release QB Matt Simms". New York Jets. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  24. ↑ Slater, Darryl (May 28, 2015). "Jets release quarterback Matt Simms, N.J. native and Phil Simms' son, after he asked to be cut". NJ.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  25. ↑ Brown, Chris (May 29, 2015). "Bills awarded claim for QB Matt Simms". Buffalo Bills. Archived from the original on May 31, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  26. ↑ Byrnes, Hayley (September 3, 2015). Matt Simms, who is an NFL QB, throws the ball 20 yards backwards. SB Nation. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  27. ↑ http://wivb.com/2015/09/04/bills-cut-enemkpali-simms-in-latest-round-of-cuts/
  28. ↑ "Falcons Sign Eight Players to Practice Squad". AtlantaFalcons.com. September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.

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