From Glory Days featuring Billy Sims
When most Detroit Lions fans think of the small but electric running back who wore the number 20, they think of Barry Sanders. However, a decade before Sanders was drafted by the Lions, there was another fan favorite running back that many would later compare to Sanders, and that was Billy Sims. Sims was born in St. Louis, Missouri and like most kids in St. Louis, he grew up a big baseball fan thanks to the success of the St. Louis Cardinals. He would also participate as a kid in ice hockey because of the St Louis Blues, and gymnastics, perhaps the origin of some of his moves on the gridiron. During his middle school years Billy moved to Texas to live with his grandmother where he was introduced to the game of football.
Despite wanting to focus on being a pitcher on his high school baseball team, he played on the football team as well, originally as a linebacker and third-string running back. Both running backs ahead of him on the depth chart then became injured, putting Billy in the starting position on a team that was not very good at run blocking, which actually made him more elusive on the field, thus, beginning his Texas state record where 38 times he accrued over one hundred yard in a game. By the time Billy finished his high school career, he held a national record for most career rushing yards, which stood until a few years ago when current Tennessee Titan Derrick Henry broke it.
By his senior year, he was a highly sought recruit and had the intention of going to Baylor University because their head coach knew Sims’ grandmother from church. Billy’s high school baseball coach, who was from Oklahoma, wanted him to meet Oklahoma University’s head coach Barry Switzer. As a favor to his baseball coach, Billy paid Oklahoma a visit. After the visit was over, Switzer invited Sims to come to dinner to meet his family. At dinner, Switzer’s family was already wearing number 20 Sooner jerseys with Sims’ name on them. Switzer promised Sims two things if he committed to Oklahoma: he would not only get his degree, but he would also win the Heisman trophy. Sims was interested but still on the fence about going to Oklahoma instead of Baylor until Switzer showed how serious he was by calling Billy at halftime of one of his high school games, which sold Billy on the Sooners.
Things were a bit rocky at first for Sims at Oklahoma. He was injured his sophomore year and felt like he was not being treated as well as some of the new recruits and wanted to quit, but Switzer was able to talk him out of quitting. After that, Sims would have a lot of success as a Sooner. Sims gives credit to a great supporting cast for his success.
In his junior year, he won the Heisman trophy, a rare feat even today for an underclassman. Billy had thought about going pro right then and there but Switzer convinced him to return for his senior year not only to get better and stronger, but to also finish his degree. In 1979, his senior year, he finished second in the Heisman vote in a time when only Archie Griffin had won more than one Heisman. At first, he was excited to be going into the NFL as a first overall pick, but then he found out the team that would take him would be the Detroit Lions, who only had two wins the year before. Sims was worried this would be like high school all over again.
Sims quickly made an impact as the Lions first overall pick, Matthew Stafford being the only other #1 draft pick since him. In his NFL debut he set a record for three touchdowns in his first game. By 1983, the Lions won the division and almost beat Joe Montana on the road in the playoffs, losing on a last second field goal Eddie Murray missed. Unfortunately Sims’ career was cut short. Halfway through his fifth season he hurt his knee against the Minnesota Vikings, thinking it was only a sprain. After an eight-hour surgery, he would find out he tore his ACL, a career-ending injury in those days.
Sims, who went pro at age 24, had been preparing for retirement since his rookie year and started by bringing awareness to people with special needs, especially to school children. Sims’ brother had special needs and this became one of the reasons he became involved in that cause.
Early in his retirement Sims felt that he had been taken advantage of by some people who wanted to be close to him which caused him some financial difficulties. Later, Sims began having success in real estate. He was then approached in 2004 by business partner Jeff Jackson, who pitched the idea of having a chain of Billy Sims BBQ restaurants. Although he was hesitant at first, wanting to make sure the food would be good, the restaurants have become a great success. They now have five locations in Detroit, which are part of the 70 Billy Sims BBQ’s in eight other states, going as far west as Colorado Springs. There is also a location in Las Vegas coming soon. Sims is also involved with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and invests in producing milk and other food commodities for export to China.
When it comes to transitions in life, Billy Sims thinks it is not about how you get knocked down, but how you get back up. People should never give up and they should surround themselves with positive people. He believes that everybody has a story, some tougher than others.
You can catch Billy Sims’ full TV interview on From Glory Days this Sunday, February 25th on TV20 Detroit at 6:00 a.m. Set your alarms or DVRs to hear Billy’s story directly from this Detroit Lion Legend and College Football Hall of Famer himself.
Check out other blog posts on the From Glory Days page.
Michael Holzman is a graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn with honors, with a BA in Communications. He also has a communications and broadcasting degree from Specs Howard School of Media Arts. A native of the Detroit area, Michael is now an associate producer for the TV show, “From Glory Days” and also works for Yellow Flag Productions, primarily reporting and gathering video for their popular show, “State Champs Sports Network.”