Billy Ray Sims (born September 18, 1955) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

for five seasons with the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) from 1980 to 1984. Sims played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...

, earning consensus

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors twice, and winning the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

in 1978. He was selected by the Lions with first overall pick of the

1980 NFL draft The 1980 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980, at the New York Sh ...

. After three

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selections, his career was prematurely ended by a knee injury suffered in 1984. Sims was the last Oklahoma player taken number one overall in the NFL draft until quarterback Sam Bradford was taken first in the 2010 draft.Tramel, Jimmie
"Distant dreams: Billy Sims watches as new Sooner generation makes it big."

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...

, September 5, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2014. Sims was nicknamed "Kung Fu Billy Sims" by

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

's Chris Berman, following a game between the Lions and the

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...

. In the NFL Films highlight, rather than be tackled during a rushing attempt, Sims ran at, jumped, and, while fully airborne, kicked Oilers cornerback Steve Brown in the head.Hailey, Gary
"Billy Sims: The Man, the 'Fro, the BBQ."
''Naptime Huddle'', October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2014.

Early life and education

Sims was born in St. Louis,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. In eighth grade, he moved to Hooks, Texas, to live with his grandmother. Sims initially played baseball and grew up a St. Louis Cardinals fan. He showed no interest in football until moving to Texas. In three years of varsity football at Hooks High School, he rushed 1,128 times, setting a state record at the time that is currently second behind Robert Strait, for 7,738 yards, including 441 carries in 1973, another state record at the time, currently tied for second behind Ketric Sanford. Sims' 38 games with 100 yards or more rushing from 1972 to 1974 is tied for third in all-time Texas high school records with Ken Hall and Steve Worster and behind Robert Strait's 41 games, and Wes Danaher's 43 100-yard games.

College career

Sims attended the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

, where he played for coach Barry Switzer's

Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football team represents the University of Oklahoma (OU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program began in 1895 and is one of the most succ ...

team from 1975 to 1979. After playing only one game in his freshman year of 1975, injuries kept Sims out of the lineup for most of his sophomore season, which allowed him to red-shirt to gain an extra year of eligibility. Injuries continued to plague Sims for half of his (red-shirt) sophomore season in 1977 (he rushed for only 545 yards total in two seasons in 1975 and 1977, plus one game in 1976.) In 1978, Sims rushed for 1,762 yards on 231 carries as a red-shirt junior, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Including the postseason, Sims had 1,896 yards. Both the before and after bowl game totals led the NCAA. He also set a total yardage school record that stood until 2004, when freshman Adrian Peterson ran for 1,925 yards. Subsequently, Sims was awarded the

for the 1978 season, becoming only the sixth junior to do so."1978 Heisman Trophy Voting."
''www.sports-reference.com.'' Retrieved November 16, 2014."Heisman Trophy Winners."
''www.heisman.com.'' Retrieved November 16, 2014. He was runner-up for the Heisman the following season in 1979, coming in second to Charles White of

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

."1979 Heisman Trophy Voting."
''www.sports-reference.com.'' Retrieved November 16, 2014. In 1979, against then-unbeaten Nebraska, who had the No. 1 rushing defense in the country at the time, Sims ran for 247 yards and helped the Sooners to a 17–14 win. Including the bowl game he had 248 attempts for 1,670 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, and scored 23 touchdowns. He also became the first running back in Big 8 Conference (now merged to form the

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...

) history to rush for 200-yards in three consecutive games, and had four 200-yard games in a single season. After losing to the

Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville. The University of Arkans ...

31–6 in 1978, Sims led the Sooners to two consecutive

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...

titles in three straight appearances. In the Orange Bowl following the 1978 season, he rushed for 134 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 31–24 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In his final game, he ran for 164 yards as Oklahoma beat the previously undefeated

Florida State Seminoles The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University (FSU) located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I, prima ...

by a score of 24–7. Sims ended his career at OU with 3,813 yards; most of those yards came in his final two seasons.

College statistics

* Includes bowl games.

National Football League

As was widely expected, Sims was the first overall pick in the

. He spent his career with the

, making the

in 1980, 1981, and 1982. Sims led Detroit to the playoffs in 1982 and 1983, but they lost in their first game in both appearances. In the 1983 NFC divisional playoff game at

Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium located in the Bayview-Hunters Point, Hunters Point area of San Francisco, California, United States. It was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 S ...

against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

, Sims ran for 114 yards on 20 carries, but Joe Montana led the 49ers to a comeback victory, as Detroit kicker

Eddie Murray Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth ...

missed a potential game-winning field goal in the waning moments. In 1983, Sims' agent, Jerry Argovitz, took control of a

USFL The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...

expansion franchise, the Houston Gamblers. On July 1, 1983, while seeking a new pact from the Lions, Sims secretly signed a five-year, $3.5 million contract with the Gamblers; in December, he also signed a new, five-year, $4.5 million contract extension with Detroit. The matter wound up in court, and on February 10, 1984, a federal judge voided the Houston pact, sending Sims back to Detroit. Sims' career ultimately ended midway through the 1984 season when he suffered a catastrophic right knee injury in a game against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

on October 21; in that game, Sims set the all-time Lions rushing record (now held by Barry Sanders) with 5,106 yards on 1,131 carries, or 4.5 yards per carry. Sims also caught 186 passes for 2,072 yards (11.1 yards per catch). He spent two years attempting to rehabilitate his knee before finally retiring in 1986."A Billy Sims Comeback?"
Observer-Reporter, December 20, 1988. ''Google Books.'' Retrieved November 16, 2014. Sims remains a beloved sports figure in Detroit."Detroit Lions Gridiron Heroes: Billy Sims."
''www.detroitlions.com.'' Retrieved November 16, 2014. His team uniform number 20 was worn five years after his retirement by Barry Sanders, and is currently retired as an unofficial "

triumvirate A triumvirate () or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs (). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are notionally equal, the actual distr ...

" of the greatest Lions in the modern era to ever wear the number, which also includes

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

Lem Barney.

Comeback attempt

In 1988, four years after the knee injury that forced his retirement, Sims announced he was attempting a comeback with the Lions for the 1989 season, which would be Sanders' rookie year. He told ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...

'' columnist Mitch Albom, that he was "as fit as he was in 1983." He offered to play the season with a blank check, allowing Lions management to assess his value and fill in the salary amount accordingly. Sims hoped to meet with Lions general manager Russ Thomas and owner William Clay Ford Sr. to discuss a spot on the team's roster.

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

"IN BRIEF : Sims Hoping for Detroit Comeback."

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

, December 19, 1988. Retrieved November 16, 2014. Despite some interest from Lions head coach Wayne Fontes,"A Billy Sims Comeback?"
Observer-Reporter, December 20, 1988.

Google News Archive Google News Archive is an extension of Google News providing free access to scanned archives of newspapers and links to other newspaper archives on the web, both free and paid. Some of the news archives date back to 18th century. There is a time ...

. Retrieved November 201, 2014. Sims never returned to the NFL.

NFL career statistics

Post-NFL life

Financial difficulties

When Sims retired from the

in 1984, he received a $1.9 million insurance settlement from

Lloyd's of London Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is a insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gover ...

, in addition to several million dollars he earned during his playing career.Hailey, Gary
"Billy Sims: Bankruptcy, Bouncing Back...and BBQ."
''Naptime Huddle'', October 24, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2014. Sims lost his accumulated wealth through a series of failed business ventures. His numerous businesses included a nightclub, a radio station, a dry cleaner, and a car parts manufacturer.

Selling the Heisman

In 1995, he sold his

to Texas businessman Bob White, who had been a father figure to Sims since he was in the ninth grade; White's son played high school football with Sims.Taylor, Jeff
"A Most Desperate Option Play: Sims Once Sold His Heisman."

The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...

, March 29, 1998. Retrieved November 22, 2014. The trophy was sold to White with the agreement that it could be re-purchased by Sims by paying the original price plus 8.5% interest.

Recognition

In 2007, a bronze statue of Sims was dedicated on the University of Oklahoma campus in Heisman Park, commemorating his 1978 award. The life and one half size statue was created by sculptor Jim Franklin in his studio in Perry, Oklahoma. The bronze was cast by the Bronze Horse Foundry in

Pawhuska, Oklahoma Pawhuska ( Osage: 𐓄𐓘𐓢𐓶𐓮𐓤𐓘, ''hpahúska'', lit.: ''White Hair''; Chiwere: ''Paháhga'') is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,98 ...

. Sims has led a "Boomer! Sooner!" chant at the Heisman Trophy presentation whenever a Sooner wins the trophy. He has done so for the four most recent Sooner winners, Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray. He held up a sign reading "Boomer" during the 2009 Heisman ceremony. In 1995, he was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

. Sims is honored in Hooks, Texas with Billy Sims Road named in his honor. The local library displays a collection of his photos;Richardson, Steve
100 Things Oklahoma Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

: Triumph Books, 2014. .

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical charac ...

. Retrieved November 22, 2014.Pasche, Paula
100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.

: Triumph Books, 2012. .

. Retrieved November 22, 2014. Sims said while at Oklahoma that he preferred his home town to big cities. He maintains 30+ Billy Sims Barbecue restaurants franchises with co-founder Jeff Jackson."About: Billy Sims BBQ."
''www.billysimsbbq.com.'' Retrieved November 16, 2014. Before Joe Burrow was announced to win the 2019 Heisman, Sims yelled "Boomer", in hopes

Jalen Hurts Jalen Alexander Hurts (born August 7, 1998) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Hurts began his college football career with the Alabama Crims ...

would win the

Career accomplishments

*High school ( Hooks High School, 1972–74, High School Coach: Jack Coleman) ** Consecutive 100-yard games: 38 (state record) ** Total 100-yard games: 38 ** Total points: 516 ** Carries-season: 441 (1973; 378 in 1974) ** Rushing yards in a seasons: 3,080 (1973; 2,885 in 1974) ** Career carries: 1,128 ** Total yards: 7,738 *Collegiate ** Two-time All-American (

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

) ** 1978

Winner ** 1978

Walter Camp Award The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information direc ...

** 1978 AP &

UPI United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...

College Player of the Year ** 1978 UPI Player of the Year ** 1978 Sporting News Player of the Year ** 1978 Harley Award Winner ** 1979 Heisman Runner-Up ** Orange Bowl Hall of Fame Trophy ** Big Eight Player of the Year (1978, 1979) ** Career carries: 538 ** Rushing yards per-carry: 7.1 ** Total yards: 4,118 (4,041 rushing; 3,890 regular season; 3,813 rushing – 77 receiving) ** Touchdowns: 52 (50 rushing) ** Total points: 312 (126 in 1978, 132 in 1979) *NFL ** 3-Time Pro-Bowl selection ** 32nd – NFL All-Time Rushing Yards Per-Carry (4.515) ** 75th, along with Calvin Hill & Don Perkins, – NFL All-Time Rushing Touchdowns (42) ** 135th – NFL All-Time Rushing Yardage (5,106) ** 1st player to score 3 touchdowns in first NFL game.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sims, Billy 1955 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen All-American college football players American football running backs College Football Hall of Fame inductees Detroit Lions players Heisman Trophy winners National Conference Pro Bowl players First overall NFL draft picks NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winners NFL players with retired numbers Oklahoma Sooners football players People from Hooks, Texas Players of American football from Bowie County, Texas Players of American football from St. Louis Walter Camp Award winners