Background
Sims was born in Kosse, Texas.
Sims was born in Kosse, Texas.
He played college football at Texas, where he was a two-time consensus All-American. Sims was the first overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the New England Patriots of the NFL.
In his junior year at Groesbeck High School, Sims quit football but then realized that football was indeed for him and went on to spend his senior year playing linebacker, fullback and tight end, rather than as a tackle. At Texas, Sims spent his freshman year learning the basics of the tackle position.
He spent his sophomore year behind Steve McMichael and Bill Acker, then became a force his junior year.
He made 131 tackles, and was named an All-American. With the Patriots in the NFL, Sims never lived up to the expectations of a first overall pick.
He only played the full 16-game schedule once, and played 74 career games with only 17 sacks over eight NFL seasons. His best year was 1985, when he managed 5.5 sacks and played in Super Bowl XX. Sims was tagged with the nickname "Game Day" when he explained his lack of interest in practice by saying "I"ll be there on game day." In June 1990, Sims was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine in Austin, Texas.
Shortly after the arrest, the Patriots released Sims, who was out of shape, and he eventually retired.
Sims now hosts Texas Football Roundup on Entertainment and Sports Programming Network Radio in Austin, Texas and is a season ticket holder for Texas basketball and football games.