Saturday, March 7, 2009

As a QB, you can't worry about being liked

Phil Simms, who led the NY Giants to two Super Bowl victories in the late '80s and early '90s, has some simple advice for Cowboys QB Tony Romo: "Take control."

"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.

[Former Giants coach] 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."

As for DAL coach Wade Phillips, Simms had some advice for him, too.

"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."