Search results
Billy Ray Sims (born September 18, 1955) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons from 1980 to 1984. Sims played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners , where he was a two-time consensus All-American , and won the Heisman Trophy in 1978.
In just three years of varsity football, he rushed for 7,738 on 1,128 carries. During that time, he had a streak of 38 straight games of over 100 yards. “I became a running back, and I think I was successful at it, because of pure fear,” Sims said. “I had a fear of getting hit all of the time. There was a whole lot of running and not a ...
- Sims Gets “Hooked” on Football
- Sims Spurns Baylor For The Sooners
- Slow Start at Ou
- Heisman Winner
- Near Repeat in 1979
- First Round Pick
- Detroit Returns to The Postseason
- Sims Signs Two Contracts
- Court Rules in Detroit’s Favor
- Sims’ Career Ends Suddenly
Billy Ray Sims was born on September 18, 1955, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a big fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and envisioned himself playing the game professionally someday. That goal changed when he moved to Hooks, Texas during his eighth-grade year to live with his grandmother. As most people know, football is king in Texas, an...
As a high school player, Sims was a two-time all-state selection as well as an All-American and All-South pick as a senior. His stats as a senior also led the Amarillo, Texas Chamber of Commerce to select Sims as their award winner for the state’s most outstanding player. Bona fides like that were hard to keep secret and many of the South’s major c...
When Sims arrived in Oklahoma, he realized that he wasn’t the only one Switzer made big promises to. As a freshman in 1975, Sims barely stepped foot on the field and only rushed for 95 yards. He was still buried on the depth chart as a sophomore in 1976, was injured in the first game of the season, and missed the rest of the year. Because of his in...
Sims stayed healthy in 1978 and regained the form he entered college with. The Sooners began the season with nine straight wins before losing to Nebraska on November 4, 17-14. That dropped Oklahoma’s ranking from first to fourth in the nation. After crushing rival Oklahoma State the following week, the Sooners and Cornhuskers were picked to play ea...
In 1979, Sims and the Sooners had another great year. The team only lost one game and defeated Florida State in the Orange Bowl. During the season, Sims humiliated Missouri and Nebraska with huge rushing days. Against the Tigers, he busted loose for 282 yards. Then, against the Huskers’ number one ranked rush defense, Sims tallied 247 yards to help...
In 1979, the Detroit Lions suffered through a 2-14 season. On the flip side, their poor record gave the Lions the first pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. Without overthinking it, the team selected Sims. Detroit immediately rebounded as Sims led the team in rushing with 1,303 yards and co-led the NFL with 13 rushing scores. He also added a career-high 51 ...
Occasionally, NFL stars suffer a sophomore slump after a great rookie year. That wasn’t the case with Sims. In 1981, he rushed for 1,437 yards (a career-high), 13 touchdowns, and had 28 receptions for 451 yards and two more touchdowns. Sims was voted a first-team All-Pro and was selected for his second Pro Bowl as Detroit went 8-8. The NFL players ...
In 1983, the United States Football League began to play and several NFL players signed with the upstart league. Looking to market their new toys, many USFL owners promised big contracts to players. Sims’ agent, Jerry Argovitz, became the owner of the Houston Gamblers franchise. At the same time, Sims was looking for a new contract extension with t...
Not long after, the jig was up and Sims was forced to answer why he had signed two contracts. The Lions believed they had Sims locked into a new deal. That was news to Argovitz, who was convinced that his contract offer with Sims came first and that Detroit was trying to act in bad faith. The matter went before a court, and Sims testified that Argo...
Sims put the ugliness of his court appearance behind him and began the 1984 season on fire. Seven games into the year, he was averaging 85.9 yards per game and looking to go over 1,000 yards for the fourth time. Before a Week 8 game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sims voiced his displeasure about the turf used in the Metrodome. The contest started ...
Mar 23, 2021 · Early Life & College Career. Billy Ray Sims was born September 18, 1955, in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the same year that Disney released " The Lady and the Tramp ". St. Louis was a booming construction town. The local sports heroes played on the diamond, not the gridiron. Sims was a young Cardinals fan when he moved to Texas.
Feb 8, 2015 · On Oct. 21, 1984, Sims took a handoff, followed a few pulling linemen to his right, and as he planted and turned up field, got hit. Twenty-one months later, Sims announced his retirement.
- Dave Birkett
1995. Sport (s) Position: Running Back Years: 1975-1979 Place of Birth: St. Louis, MO Date of Birth: Sep 18, 1955 Jersey Number: 20 Height: 6-0 Weight: 205 High School: Hooks, TX (Hooks HS) Billy Sims, as a freshman in 1975, was a sub on Oklahoma's national championship team. He was injured early in the 1976 season, after carrying the ball ...
People also ask
How did Billy Sims become famous?
Where was Billy Sims born & raised?
Was Billy Sims a Hall of Famer?
Did Billy Sims plan to become a football player?
Was Billy Sims a jinx?
How did Billy Sims get his name?
Check out Billy Sims' amazing journey!Subscribe to NFL Films: http://goo.gl/XJTggLCheck out our other channels:NFL Network http://www.youtube.com/nflnetworkN...
- 22 min
- 620K
- NFL Films
