| No. 77 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | (1959-10-31)October 31, 1959 Kosse, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | March 21, 2025(2025-03-21) (aged 65) Waynesville, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 272 lb (123 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Groesbeck(Groesbeck, Texas) | ||||||
| College | Texas | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1982: 1st round,1st overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Kenneth Wayne Sims (October 31, 1959 – March 21, 2025) was an American professionalfootballdefensive end who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with theNew England Patriots. He playedcollege football for theTexas Longhorns, winning theLombardi Award andUPI Lineman of the Year en route to a victory in the1982 Cotton Bowl Classic. Sims was selectedfirst overall by the Patriots in the1982 NFL draft, but his professional career would be afflicted by injuries. He was inducted to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Sims was born inKosse, Texas. In his junior year atGroesbeck High School, Sims quit football but then realized that football was indeed for him and went on to spend his senior year playinglinebacker,fullback andtight end, rather than as atackle.
At theUniversity of Texas at Austin, Sims spent his freshman year learning the basics of the tackle position. He spent his sophomore year behindSteve McMichael andBill Acker, then became a force his junior year. He made 131 tackles, and was named All-Conference and anAll-American. As a senior in 1981, Sims became the firstLonghorn to win theLombardi Award, was named the 1981UPI Lineman of the Year, was the top defensive vote-recipient for theHeisman Trophy (8th overall) and earned all-conference andAll-American status once again. In 1981, he helped Texas to finish 10–1–1, win the1982 Cotton Bowl Classic, and finish ranked second nationally, their best end-of-year ranking since 1970.
During his college career, Sims recorded 322 tackles (including 50 tackles for loss), 29 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and three blocked kicks.[1]
Sims was the first overall pick in the1982 NFL draft, only the third Longhorn to be selected with the first pick.[2] In his rookie year, he came in fifth in the voting for theNFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.[3] With theNew England Patriots in the NFL, Sims played 74 career games and had 17sacks over eight NFL seasons. His best year was 1985, when he managed 5.5 sacks despite only playing in 13 games after he broke his leg late in the regular season. He did not get to play inSuper Bowl XX, which the Patriots lost.[4] Sims suffered multiple injuries to his knees, legs and back throughout his career, limiting his play such that the only complete season he played was 1984. He had surgery in 1987 for his back.[5] After that season he signed a one-year, incentives based contract with the Patriots but he ruptured hisAchilles tendon in the opening game of the year and missed the remainder of the season.[6][7] He was signed to another one-year contract in 1989[8] and played most of the 1989 season, but missed the last game with an injured knee.[9]
Following the 1985 season, the Patriots instituted a voluntary drug testing program after six players, including Sims, admitted to struggling with drugs over the prior years. Sims supported the program and said that he'd gotten himself clean after going through a team-supported drug rehabilitation program.[10] In 1990, Sims was arrested inAustin, Texas, and charged with possession of cocaine.[11] He was released by the Patriots 16 days later for failing to stay in proper shape.[12]
In 1992, after spending time in rehab, Sims signed a one-year contract with theBuffalo Bills—by this time he was being described as a recovering alcoholic; he was waived before the start of the season.[13][14]
Sims died in his sleep inWaynesville, North Carolina, on March 21, 2025, at the age of 65.[15][16]
Sims was elected to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2021.[17] He was inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 1997.[18]