Billy Sims

Billy Sims

Sims in December 2010
No. 20
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1955-09-18) September 18, 1955 (age 68) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school:	Hooks (Hooks, Texas)
College:	Oklahoma (1975–1979)
NFL draft:	1980 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Career history
Detroit Lions (1980–1984)
Career highlights and awards
Offensive Rookie of the Year (1980) First-team All-Pro (1981) Second-team All-Pro (1980) 3× Pro Bowl (1980–1982) NFL rushing touchdowns co-leader (1980) PFWA All-Rookie Team (1980) Detroit Lions 75th Anniversary Team Detroit Lions All-Time Team Detroit Lions No. 20 retired National champion (1975) Heisman Trophy (1978) UPI Player of the Year (1978) Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy (1978) SN Player of the Year (1978) 2× Unanimous All-American (1978, 1979) 2× First-team All-Big Eight (1978, 1979)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 5,106 Rushing average: 4.5 Rushing touchdowns: 42 Receptions: 186 Receiving yards: 2,072 Receiving touchdowns: 5
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

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. He was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft, selected by the Detroit Lions.

Sims was the last Oklahoma player taken number one overall in the NFL Draft until quarterback Sam Bradford was taken first in the 2010 NFL Draft.^[1][2]

Sims was nicknamed "Kung Fu Billy Sims" by ESPN's Chris Berman, following a game between the Lions and the Houston Oilers. In the NFL Films highlight, rather than be tackled during a rushing attempt, Sims ran at, jumped, and, while fully airborne, kicked Oilers cornerback Steve Brown in the head.^[3]