College tattoos keep Bucs QB, Texans assistant bonded for life UT friendship leaves mark on Simms, Shanahan

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Chris Simms and Kyle Shanahan became such good friends at the University of Texas that they have their initials tattooed on each other's lower leg.

Simms, the Tampa Bay quarterback who will play briefly in tonight's preseason game against the Texans, enters the season as a starter for the first time since 2002, his last year with the Longhorns.

Shanahan, who was a quality control coach for the Buccaneers the last two years, is in his first season as the Texans' receivers coach.

"We're best friends, and we'll be best friends for life," Simms said about Shanahan this week. "We hit it off from day one. We had a common bond in that our fathers (former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms and Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan) have been such a big part of the NFL for a long time.

"We talk at least once a week. We're obsessed with the game. We have a great love for football, and we're constantly talking about it."

Both players remember when they went with three other close friends and UT teammates — tight end Bo Scaife, defensive back Rod Babers and receiver Montrell Flowers — to get their tattoos.

Though he is not expected to play much tonight, Chris Simms is ready to show that he is a bona fide NFL quarterback. Though he is not expected to play much tonight, Chris Simms is ready to show that he is a bona fide NFL quarterback. Photo: CHRIS O'MEARA, AP Photo: CHRIS O'MEARA, AP Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close College tattoos keep Bucs QB, Texans assistant bonded for life 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

"Kyle was a real wimp about it," Simms said. "He got a small one on his ankle. He was afraid his mom and dad would see it, so he keeps it hidden underneath his socks."

Shanahan has a different version of the experience in which each player got the initials of the other four tattooed on his lower leg.

"Let me tell you what really happened," Shanahan said. "Chris was dying to get a tattoo. When we got to the (tattoo parlor), I was the only one who already didn't have one. It wasn't any big deal for the others.

"I had to be a man about it. I got one out of loyalty to my buddies. Now, Chris, he got one the size of his calf, but I didn't want one that big because I didn't want to show off."

Indelibly inked

Before the Texans' kickoff luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Downtown on Wednesday, Shanahan lifted his pants leg to display the tattoo that binds him with his four close friends and former teammates.

"I met Chris for the first time right after I transferred to Texas (from Duke) in January (of 2000)," Shanahan said. "I was the new wide receiver, and one day I was in the dressing room. Chris came up, introduced himself and asked if I'd run some routes for him. I said, 'Sure.'

"Later, he invited me out to dinner. We hit it off immediately, and we've been best friends ever since."

When Simms was heavily criticized as a Longhorns quarterback who never did measure up the way UT fans demanded, Shanahan suffered with him.

"I'm so proud of Chris," Shanahan said. "He's one of the most mentally tough guys I've ever met. He experienced a lot of negativism in college, and I think it made him stronger and more determined.

"No matter what happened, no matter what was said about him, Chris always managed to stay focused."

Disappointed no more

When the Buccaneers used the last pick in the third round of the 2003 draft on Simms, he was devastated to be taken that low.

"Knowing what kind of guy he is, knowing how hard he worked and seeing what he went through, he deserves everything he's getting now," Shanahan said.

If new Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy wanted advice from a predecessor, he might be better off asking Simms rather than Vince Young. Simms' experience was much tougher than Young's.

"I would tell him (McCoy) to just play the game, to work hard, to listen to his coaches and to not read the local papers or watch the local news," Simms said. "There are going to be ups and downs. Learn from them. And most of all, just have fun."

Like other Longhorns, Simms celebrated last season's national championship.

"I was watching the game on the couch getting ready for our playoff game against the Redskins," he said. "I can't tell you how excited I was.

"Like everyone else watching, I was up and down. At times, I was cussing at the screen. At other times, I was cheering like crazy. When it was over, I was drained. I was just so happy. I couldn't believe we actually pulled it off."

Simms has a prediction for the Ohio State-Texas game on Sept. 9 at Austin.

"Texas 31, Ohio State 27," he said.

Looking back on the start of his NFL career, Simms benefited highly from being drafted at the end of the third round. He is playing for coach Jon Gruden, who is one of the league's best quarterback coaches. And Simms is starting for a playoff team that has Super Bowl aspirations.

Learning experience

"Coming here was a blessing in disguise," he said. "For lack of a better phrase, it (being drafted so low) does light my fire a little. I've learned so much, like how to handle myself on a day-to-day basis.

"Coach is a perfectionist. He's a tremendous worker, and he's relentless. The passion he has for the game is contagious. He's always going to be tough on his quarterbacks. He challenges you every day. He sure knows which one of my buttons to push."

This trip to Houston gives Simms special satisfaction, even though he is not expected to play much. He is the starting quarterback for a Super Bowl contender.

"This is a great opportunity for me to come back to Texas," he said. "I get to see a lot of old friends and, to a certain extent, show some of the doubters that I can play in this league."

john.mcclain@chron.com

TEXANS SUMMARY

Decisions to make

Because so many Texans starters won't play against Tampa Bay, some position battles will be settled against the Buccaneers. The Texans will reduce their roster from 75 to 53 on Friday and then scan the waiver wire to see how many players they want to claim. They have the first choice on all waived players.

"It's going to settle every issue we have," coach Gary Kubiak said about tonight's game. "I told the players if there is any doubt in our minds, as coaches, about what we're going to do here or there, it's going to get settled Thursday night.

"You'll see those guys on the field battling for positions that are very important. We'll let them play themselves out."

Individual battles

The Texans want outside linebackers to emerge to solidify their positions. They would like to have more speed.

With DeMeco Ryans firmly entrenched in the middle and Morlon Greenwood solid on the weak side, the coaches want either ShanteeOrr or Charlie Anderson to step up on the other side.

Another player trying hard to impress the coaches is Kenneth Pettway. A seventh-round pick in 2005, Pettway came to the Texans to play outside linebacker in a 3-4. Then he was moved to defensive end.

Pettway is a good special teams player, which works to his advantage.

"That's a very hard transition to make that quick," coach Gary Kubiak said. "But he wasn't getting many reps where he was. He was playing well on special teams.

"We think he can rush a passer, and that was something we wanted to look at. He still has practice-squad eligibility, so that's a decision we'll have to make if he's not part of our final 53."

Dividing the roster

Because the Texans begin the regular season against Philadelphia at Reliant Stadium,and his staff have been working on a game plan for the Eagles. Kubiak elected not to play many of his starters tonight to keep them healthy and to allow them to prepare for the Eagles.

"We want to give the young guys fighting for jobs a fair opportunity to complete," he said. "I separated the groups this week.

"One group's been getting ready to play Tampa Bay. And there are some veterans who aren't playing against Tampa Bay who are getting a head start on our first game. We're trying to be fair to both sides."

JOHN McCLAIN