Billy Sims: The Forgotten Legend | NFL Films Presents

I guess I was probably like 11 or 12 very often we would go over our friends the McGann ins house and watch the Lions games and that was because they had Billy Sims there was this great sins like oh this guy might make a real difference [Applause] and this is crazy run where the quarterback pitched him the ball Billy got past the line and he ran off he jumped on a guy's back like his leg went on the guys back any kicked off of that guy another guy came from the side and he kicked that guy so he like used this dude as a launching pad to karate kick this guy did you see that [Applause] after that icon went oh that's it I'm watching fun because if anything like that ever happens again I don't want to miss it [Music] play me the 98 I had a lot of great runners it was the only one I've had you know doing my career [Music] the many highlights in the life of Billy Sims today on an account films present [Music] in Oklahoma Billy Sims has been immortalized in Detroit he was recently announced as part of their all but when people see the lion's number 20 they usually think about a different with the same initials his biggest fans the fact that my dad was a big swimmer fan had a lot to do with how much in know about Billy I loved his style a fluid dynamic electric runner I love the afro sticking out the back of the helmet uh-huh before my day he was the guy that everyone identify with number 20 I believe there's some similarities and kind of being slippery and elusive he was probably more power in some ways two totally different backs completely and I think that's what's missing Barry Sanders is amazing people who's 10 as well as Dean 20 Billy was a workhorse Billy is always gonna get positive yards no matter what [Applause] funny Talon Sims unlike Sanders thrived in short yardage situations one yard to yard Street he was going to leap over the top I used to take gymnastic classes growing up in st. Louis dive and old stuff tumbling and all that stuff [Music] the biggest difference between Simpson Sanders was what they did once they reached the end zone area is really quiet Barry had crossed the goal line and hand the ball to the witch you know it got its own respect to certain way Billy came through man Heine in it and and Bill in the airplane man he's certainly outgoing almost like the magnetic personality attracts people Sims ability to crowd began in high school he books Texas everybody knew who he was you know he was the number one back in the state of Texas I went to see Billy plays five or six times on Friday nights the first time I saw him I knew he's special Sims was committed to play football for Baylor but Barry Switzer would not give up trying to recruit it one Saturday afternoon Sims was working at the local gas station while Switzer was coaching the Sooners in a rout of Colorado they were 28 to nothing and a half and I walked in the locker room and I saw a payphone on the wall of there I said I wouldn't call CJ's Conoco service station and I 30 in hooks Texas I go to the phone it's Coach Switzer on the payphone at halftime of one of the Colorado you game couldn't believe it he said we are paired with beacon pretty bad I didn't have anything to tell my players and I was thinking about you we talked for 25 minutes and and he heard the official come up for me the referee came up tapped me on the shoulders and felt you got to get your team back out in the field we kick it off in five minutes he said you hear that number 20 I said yes sir he said I'm gonna promise you two things if you recommit and come to this great institution this great University of Oklahoma I said okay here it comes and what's that coach he said first of all I'll make sure you get your degree so I know your grandmother will love it he pulled a grandmother card on me and - you gonna win the Heisman Trophy true Stewart after that phone call and everything it was over his junior year Sims soared above the rest [Applause] 1762 yards 20 touchdowns averaged seven point six yards per carry the homo was 9 no and the top team in the country when they face Nebraska with less than four minutes the sinners trailed 17 to 14 [Music] we fumbled nine times a day in lost six of them of course nobody remember the other eight but everybody remember mines because I had the last one Oklahoma lost the game and a chance at a national championship obviously it seemed like the end of the world not only to Billy who took it very hard but Oklahoma fans [Applause] Billy you know won the Heisman anyway and deserve the Heisman and the fumble didn't hurt him as a performance that day was still great [Applause] you know what we didn't fumble that night and though he had another great game and dominated the game [Applause] [Music] Sam start again his senior year and got better as the season wore on after running for 282 yards against Missouri Oklahoma hosted third ranked Nebraska the regular season finale and they led the nation and defense against Russia only given up 68 yards a game he said we had a great ride I said coach we had a great ride he said oh you think you got one more good game left in you I said coach I saved my best for last first time he touched the ball and became he goes 70 yards for a touchdown he's come back let me tell you what he did save the best for last and it was special he finished with 247 rushing yards the most ever allowed by a Nebraska defense won the game damn nursing the handling comes what he did I jump up into his arms he picks me up because I was so happy for me in the Orange Bowl sins ran for 164 yards in a win over undefeated Florida State his end-of-the-year burrowers would not earn him a second Heisman we came in second to Southern California's Charles white people could send the ballots in for the last games were ever play if they had is saying how everybody performed less companies Billy one Heisman that year too when it came to the NFL Draft there was no question who was the best player in college football Sims went first overall you know first round first pitch sounded pretty good do they tell you where he was going I said Detroit they had just won two games a year before an update oh no they say this don't sound good Billy you've come to Detroit as a highly touted rookie how do you handle being a superstar yeah there's our first round draft choice he's the Heisman Trophy winner so what's he gonna be like how's it gonna be didn't take long to find out see you later [Applause] she ever for real in a stunning debut against the defending NFC champion Rams Billy Sims had over 200 total yards and scored three touchdowns Lyons the team that had not won a playoff game in 23 years started out [Music] get back Simba's finished the year with 1303 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns and after catching just two passes his entire career at Oklahoma he was the team's second leading receiver he was the wookie of the year and the new face of the franchise affiliate would have come in that lions would have been a different team he's an exciting person to watch and he's breathing just as hard as anyone else but what you see is just a depth of desire and determination and I think that's why he's so respected on our team in his second season Sims ran for 1437 yards Billy was the team and he did it not only by his actions but he also did it by demand and stuff he was vocal he would he would say we got a win and it pulled people off [Applause] in 1983 the Lions won their division for the first time in 26 years in the season's final week but in the game they lost their starting quarterback Eric Hipple to Rooney injury gary Danielson got the start in the playoff game against San Francisco I was angry because I didn't get a chance to play the game Billy was angry because here his chance to win a freaking playoff game Gary threw five interceptions that game in the fourth quarter the Lions trailed 17 to 9 I'm kicking buckets and tables out the way because I'm upset because I'm not getting to carry the ball and I was telling a coach on the side and we we need to run the bar would got to run about that's what got us here Sims and Alliance came roaring back what's now le sects alliance take it in the end zone for the first time this afternoon there's a gifted eloquent wrap up the middle touchdown beat alright less than five minutes to go Detroiters piccalilli where's Terkel Joe Montana then drove the 49ers 70 yards to take back the lead our game would come down to a detroit 44 yard field goal I've had a great kicker at that time Eddie Mary he could do it in his sleep there it is right now this is pressure [Applause] but we in color and we end up losing it wasn't for the win we've been to the next round who knows what would happen the next season the Lions would suffer a loss even more devastating and one of the I was complaining because my shoes was getting caught in the seams when I run and take off or whatever on a sweep right the I crept off oh yeah those old it is writing we wait for the bad turf I cooked my megwin who got stuck when he hit me like that without thinking that just a bad sprain I'll be okay the damage was extensive Sims had torn multiple ligaments and underwent a seven-hour surgery we all anticipated in coming back you seem to be working out okay sins arrived at Camp in 1985 they came out made the announcement that ability it didn't pass the physical and so he's not gonna be on the team everybody looked each other said without having that proper send-off here's what you meant and everything else it was just like ah it's over after going seeing several doctors around the country was basically a good idea just to hang it up because I've been a different type of running to wouldn't have the spring to jump like dive with all that stuff so it was the best for me to give it up Sims playing career in the NFL lasted four and a half seasons he left as the Lions all-time leading rusher up next Billy Sims unlikely climbed back to prominence when Billy Sims retired from the Lions he returned delivers Texas I was involved in real estate business I had a nightclub business I was part owner of a radio station about the same time the Lions were in the business of finding Billy Sims replacement in 1988 Wayne Fonts was the lions head coach and Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders was the latest winner of the Heisman Trophy they had debating about whether drafting Barry or this defensive back and I called Wayne us a Wayne listen to me I know good when I see good but this is great you guys got to draft Barry with the third overall pick in the 1989 draft the Lions did just that I were 21 in college I assumed that I would do the same in the pros Wayne Fonts came to me at some point and just said yeah well I think we want to put you in number 20 and Billy Sims number I said I think that'd be great it was an honor and my thinking was hey look I just hope I couldn't live up to what he did Sims returned to Detroit Sanders broke a little Russian record that was truly an honor and a big deal to have him there for all practical purposes he probably still would have been playing had he not been injured it couldn't happen to a better guy and I was just more happy for him to take that number 22 another level the new pride of the Lions would indeed exceed the previous one in addition to overtaking all of census records marry a to the 45 and bumps to the polky budget Sanders led the wines their first and only when since 1957 while Sanders was capturing the heart in Detroit Sims and his businesses went into a tailspin bad investments bad deals like that trusting people two months in 1990 Sims filed for bankruptcy the story that I always heard and I think there was pretty prevalent with Oklahoma fans was that he had actually sold his Heisman Trophy yeah I'd bother me yeah I was trying to track Billy down I didn't want to if you sell itself to me hell I'll take care of whatever you need he would be too embarrassed to let me be involved in it I don't want to say that Billy fell from grace with Oklahoma fans because I don't think that's the right way to put it maybe his reputation was tarnished to a degree he was no longer looked upon with such reverence if Simms was down and out he rarely showed it at an autograph signing in 2000 his energy and optimism caught the attention of the store owner I'm from Kansas I really didn't know who he was and what his story was came in at 10 o'clock when the mall opened and mall closes at 9 o'clock 9:30 10 o'clock Billy's still out there I'm like you're still here he goes well I don't leave till the last person's gone I'm just like Billy you got this personality we got to do something more with you he said we ought to open up a barbecue restaurant I'm thinking barbecue not soon nah not me he said why not I said well you know at the end of the day if my name was up there and the food's not any good they're gonna be looking at me not you so one thing led to another he stated a couple of years and finally started in 2004 the first Billy Sims barbecue restaurant opened in Oklahoma 15 years later there are now more than 40 across six states so good oh my gosh Billy's the brand Billy's the name and face of the company if Billy can get a minute or two with people they're gonna walk out that door going that as one good guy we're one of the few celebrity based restaurants that's been successful he got that second chance against Nebraska made the most of it when he got a second chance of life he's back to being Oklahoma royalty and beloved by fans and certainly still one of the greatest players of all time know that you shouldn't want to - I know that the season if you wanted do you think we should have had it to that here is just a name there aren't two statues but there are two Billy Sims Heisman trophies one is on permanent display in the Switzer Center at the University the other Sims maintains is in safe hands my mother has it at her house in st. Louis she said was holding the door open for she was moving some furniture so she has I've been wanting to meet you from your body in Detroit Billy Sims still knows how to excite a crap even though Barry Sanders surpassed him in both accomplishments and popularity and his name is not on the Ford Field Ward he still feels very much at home you haven't noticed your name is not inside the stadium having what it is I got the barbecue phrase Sims barbecue has been in Ford Field since 2013 many people still remember Billy Sims around Detroit he had all the records and was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career and he certainly left his mark Billy and I became pretty good friends respect that man for you know for everything that he did in the beginning of my career and watched him and learning from him how to be a leader and how to you know how to take a hit and get back up again and there were times when I would see him come back it was kind of the shadow of himself but to see him today and be able to put it all in perspective and enjoy his career he comes back now he's part of the team he's getting hugs and he's coming back and it's really cool to see [Applause] [Music] Billy and I talk every week he's by here all the time he's just as genuine as can be he is a good person I've had a great ride I'm just blessed [Music] [Applause] I always say if you bless try to bless somebody my heart is always open [Music]

Channel: NFL Films

Views: 475,394

Keywords: NFL, Football, NFL Films, American Football, Billy Sims: The Forgotten Legend, billy sims, nfl films presents, films presents, bill sims, detriot lions, oklahoma sooners, billy sims highlights, billy sims interview, billy sims profile, billy sims story

Id: 43Sa7Yfb7Lo

Length: 21min 55sec (1315 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 14 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/TeamShonuff]

I loved watching his goal line leaps.

[u/americruiser]

Bring back kicking defenders in the helmet

[u/sweetwater917]

Also makes some solid BBQ

[u/[deleted]]

Lem Barney approves