LAKE BUENA VISTA — This guy has it made.

Start with the privileged blond-haired, blue-eyed birth to the wife of Super Bowl-winning former Giants quarterback Phil Simms. Fast forward to the New Jersey Player of the Year awards and all those records he racked up while slinging footballs at the University of Texas.

Segue to his marriage to Danielle prior to the 2004 season, then to last month's birth of his first child, daughter Sienna Rose. On Father's Day. Folks say she looks just like Dad. Of course.

Add the rare and real Wonder Bread image and the riches amassed for playing a game.

Toss in his new role as Tampa Bay's unquestioned starting quarterback.

At 26, he will enter this season for the first time as an NFL starter.

Yes, Chris Simms is on top of the world.

But it hasn't been easy getting here. His position was not a birthright as many likely still believe.

"Oh yeah, people think my dad gave me a little magic pill, and that made me a quarterback," said the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Simms as he smiled (and why not?). I realize people are going to think that off the bat anyway, but I know deep in my heart I worked hard to get here.

"And I don't think my road was any easier than anybody else's, other then the fact that you guys probably knew who I was a little bit earlier then the Joe Schmoe guy coming out of college."

Actually, the name recognition made it a bit rougher. Always considered a golden boy, at Texas, Simms had to battle with great expectations, Major Applewhite and against the label that he couldn't win big games.

The knocks stuck after the Bucs took him in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Simms tossed four touchdowns in the preseason, then spent the regular season toting a clipboard and closely watching his elders. And betters.

"I've gotten to learn from a number of quarterbacks who have played some serious downs in the NFL," Simms said. "Of course, Brad (Johnson) being one. So I got to sit back and really study Brad Johnson, see how he played the position. And then of course last year, I got to watch Brian Griese. You know we had Jason Garrett here for a little while, I got to learn from him. I just had a lot of guys that have had major NFL experience, where I can sit back, listen to what they say about the offense, and take a little bit from each one and try to incorporate it into my game."

Simms played in five games in 2004, but completed just 42 of 73 passes for 467 yards with one TD and four interceptions.When Griese went down with a season-ending knee injury in Game 6 last season, Simms got his chance. He took full advantage, completing 61 percent of his passes for 2,035 yards and 10 TDs with seven interceptions. He led comebacks and the Bucs to an 11-5 regular-season record and the NFC South title.

"He's the strength of the football team right now," said Bucs coach Jon Gruden.

On the job training

The main changes for Simms have come under the pewter helmet.

It seems he always has had a rocket for a left arm and solid fundamentals. But he had to learn the speed of the NFL game on the run.

The gap in the way he felt this time last year and now is vast.

"Huge. I think if you asked me at this point last year compared to where I am right now, there's no comparisons," Simms said. "I don't think you can truly learn and be comfortable until you get the on-field playing experience.

"You can practice all you want and practice all the different looks, but it's a lot different when you get out there — Julius Peppers is standing five feet from the right of you breathing down your neck or you've got guys like LaVar Arrington and Sean Taylor bluffing a blitz one way, and all of a sudden it comes the other way. Those are the learning experiences.

"There's just something about throwing an interception in practice compared to throwing an interception in front of 70,000 people that just makes it stick in your head that much more. And you learn the hard way."

Now it's time for the payoff.

"I'm extremely excited," Simms said. "There are not too many people in the world right now who can say they are a starting quarterback for an NFL team. It's something I thought about since I was a little kid. To finally — I told a lot of people this — start the summer training that we have and go into the season full-steam ahead, that's what I'm really most excited about. Where, of course last year, I had to basically do scout-team reps the first six weeks and then go in and play. So you lose your timing and rhythm with the offense.

"So I look forward to hitting it full-steam ahead."

Saturday morning, Simms loudly barked cadences and sprayed darts all about the main practice field at Disney's Wide World of Sports on the second day of training camp. He hit Michael Clayton in slanting stride and hurled a beauty of a 45-yarder into the fingers of Joey Galloway on the left sideline.

"He has great command of our attack and he's throwing the ball great," Gruden said. "He's in tremendous shape. I like what I see a lot."

Overtime

Despite the high-profile father, Simms did not grow up slurping from silver spoons or going through the motions. He devours playbooks and attacks workouts with purpose.

"I've always been a guy that worked hard, so I was going to work hard whether I was the backup or the starter," Simms said.

Said Gruden: "He's a very high-conditioned athlete who I think thrives on the more work that he can get."

Veteran All-Pro conerback Ronde Barber said those qualities have not ended now that Simms is the starter.

"Chris has put in a lot of time," Barber said. "He's one of those guys all year long in the offseason, we always saw his Mercedes out front (of One Buc Place). You knew he was there, trying to do something, whether it was working on the field or sitting in meetings with Jon, trying to get a feel for what is going to be his team this year. He's put in a lot of time, a lot of effort, and I think we'll see the results this year."

Father knows best

Obviously, Dad helped groom his son.

But Phil has learned to let go even though Chris still considers him a go-to guy.

"If I feel like I'm not throwing the ball well, he's usually the first person I'm going to call, and he can usually set me straight over the phone — just give me a few things to think about," Simms said. "As far as the X's and O's part of football, we don't talk about that much anymore just because he knows I'm around great coaches, great players, a lot of great football minds. So I don't think he's really concerned about that.

"He always calls, wants to know the game plan for the week, just like, I'm sure, any other father in the NFL."

Getting offensive

Simms knows well the defensive history of the Bucs. He remembers watching 10-6 wins and guys like Warren Sapp and John Lynch.And he's thrilled to be part of an apparent transition to balance as the Bucs have used their top choices on offensive players the past two years, including their top three this year.

"As a quarterback, I definitely like that," Simms said. "The more weapons the merrier. It was probably somewhat needed as far as the organization was concerned.

"When I was growing up, the Bucs always seemed like they were always drafting somebody on defense or making a big trade for somebody on defense.

"I think what was most impressive with our team last year was we didn't have to depend on our defense all the time. They're definitely the heart and soul of our team, but at the same time, games when maybe they struggled a little bit, we picked up the slack and kept us in the game."

There were several old-school scores after Simms took over (the 15-10 loss at San Francisco, the 13-10 loss against Chicago and the 10-3 win at New Orleans) but there also were passing fancies (36-35 vs. Washington, 30-27 at Atlanta, 27-24 vs. Atlanta).

"I don't think there's any doubt in our mind that we'll be better this year," Simms said. "You know, 11-5 is the only number I remember from last year. Stats can be misleading in this league.

"We did what we had to do. A lot of games last year, our defense was playing great and we played extremely conservative on offense. There's no point in trying to throw 30-, 40-yard routes down the field when you've got a 14-3 lead and your defense is playing strong. In the games we had to open up in, we did a pretty good job. When we've got to turn it on and play, we can do that."

The main man

Longtime fullback Mike Alstott calls Simms "our guy."

Gruden still loses it with Simms, but not nearly as much.

"He's always going to yell, at the quarterbacks especially," Simms said. "But I think at the end of the day, I feel that he has a little more confidence in me than year's past just because I have gone out on the field and proven that I can manage the offense, move the ball down the field and win in some tight situations.

"So he definitely treats me a little bit different, and that's good. It means I'm doing something right."

Yes, things are almost perfect. Simms is right there. With 21 returning starters — none more important than Simms — so is a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl.

But now that he's the center of attention on a team with great expectations, does he feel added pressure?

"I feel more at peace, honestly," Simms said. "I think last year when I knew I was going to be the backup, I felt more pressure then just because, of course, you want to impress the coaches ... there's the pressure of when am I going to play, is my career ever going to pan out the way I would like it to?

"Now I'm in the position I want to be in."