Simms's misery has company

 

As his struggles deepen, Chris Simms can take comfort in the knowledge that becoming the worst quarterback in Tampa Bay history is virtually unattainable.

 

That unfortunate distinction would have to belong to Randy Hedberg, who started five games for Tampa as a rookie in 1977. He completed only 25 of 90 attempts (27.8 percent) for 244 yards, with 10 interceptions and no touchdowns. His career passer rating is 0.0.

 

Hedberg is now in his eighth season as the head coach at St. Cloud State University, a Division II school in Minnesota, and he has had quite a bit of success there. Including this year's 2-1 start, he has led the team to a 34-13 record since 2002. The Cold, Hard Football Facts tracked down Hedberg (right), and he was gracious enough to comment on his experiences as a rookie starter.

 

"The game is a lot faster at the NFL level," Hedberg recalled. "It was extremely difficult for me. We lost Gary Huff to an injury, and through attrition, I was the next one in line. I think Coach (John) McKay was kind of running out of options." At the time, the Bucs were in just their second year of existence, having gone winless in their inaugural season.

 

Hedberg also had the misfortune of playing in 1977, at the very apex of the Dead Ball Era. Much more on that later.

 

When asked about his passer rating, Hedberg laughed and said, "I have a sense of humor about it. I didn't know it was zero though. I thought I made the charts anyway."

 

In fact, Hedberg's name is the very first one – when you read from the bottom up.