MOREHEAD, Ky.--Former Morehead State University football player Phil Simms was part of television history during Sunday night's Super Bowl XLIV on CBS.
The New Orleans victory became the most watched program in TV history, overtaking the 27-year-old record set by the final episode of the comedy MASH.
The Saints' 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts attracted 106.5 million viewers to CBS, according to preliminary Nielsen TV ratings.
A four-year letterman, Simms was the Ohio Valley Conference’s (OVC) Offensive Player of the Year in 1977, and finished his MSU career with 5,545 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. After his playing days at Morehead State, he was the Giants' first selection (seventh overall) in the 1979 NFL Draft.
Simms, the Super Bowl XXI MVP, played 15 seasons in the NFL. He joined CBS Sports in January 1998 as lead analyst and this year’s Super Bowl was his fourth for CBS and sixth overall.
Sunday's broadcast also was the first televised sports event to top 100 million viewers, beating last year's 98.7 million for Super Bowl XLIII, which saw the Pittsburgh Steelers score a last minute touchdown over the Arizona Cardinals to win 27-23.
