Billy Sims: The Forgotten Legend | NFL Films Presents
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- čas přidán 13. 11. 2019
- Check out Billy Sims' amazing journey!
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Billy Sims appears to be a man thoroughly satisfied with his life. That is the true definition of success.
There's genuinely no greater success than that. No amount of accolades can beat that. This man is the most successful man in the word to him, and that's everything every man should strive for
Love the comment. Here is a guy that was going to be a sure fire Hall of Famer, and misses out because he played in an era where medicine had not quite caught up to athletics.
On top of that, other great and worthy players who lost their careers prematurely due to injury, WERE recognized and inducted, yet he wasnt. Bitterness? No. Protesting about the hypocrisy and inconsistency in not electing him, but allowing others? Nope.
Hes happy and content. God bless him. I hope one day the Hall finds logic and puts Billy Sims in. Dude was ALL WORLD AT EVERY LEVEL of football he played. On shitty or good teams. He DESERVES to be in Canton.
Gayle Sayers. Terrell Davis. They are in. So should Billy Sims.
Billy sims my hero
Beautifully put.
I know Im asking randomly but does someone know of a way to get back into an instagram account?
I was dumb lost my login password. I would love any assistance you can give me
If Billy hadn't had that horrific injury, I think he would have had HOF career.
I agree 100%
he had a HOF four years
Absolutely no doubt, he would have been an all time great
Rob Macmillan i think 4 years like his are enough to say he is. gale sayers is legendary ,TD is legendary and they both played less than 5 full years games wise
He should be in the Hall of Fame. 4 years with the worst team in the league, helped Lions recover from sorrow, accomplished rushing titles, giving his all every time he ran, etc! Plus running backs are only given four years, six years tops, to last in the NFL because of the punishment they take.
Put his name on The Wall and he need to be in the HOF!
One of the most underrated backs of all time. Should be top 20 for sure
One of the greatest players I have seen in my many years. Sims deserves to be in the HOF.
❤️ billy billy ball Sim & wishbone offense & Oklahoma & Barry Switzer
Watched him play in person once when he was at OU. Incredible.
♥️ Billy ball; Billy Sim & wishbone offense 1970s & Oklahoma football & Barry Switzer
sure, college hall of fame.
🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿AMEN!!!!!!! May the GODS BLESS HIM!!!! #GAYLE SAYERS 2.0!!!
"Number one pick in the 1st round of the draft sounds pretty good until they tell you where you're going" 🤣🤣🤣
Great line!
Could have been worse . . . They could have said Cleveland.
@@speedbag09 cleveland was good back in the day.
@@speedbag09 and now they’re 8-3
@@speedbag09 Cleveland was miles better than Detroit back in the day almost making the superbowl couple times
Billy's 1 of the most underrated RB's in NFL history....
Not by people who know football and aren't biased. He was an amazing talent.
Fact!!
Billy sim had a beyond legendary career at Oklahoma, heisman trophy 🏆 winner
Nah
@66fredo99 la France I believe Elvis Peacock, Kenny King and Billy Sims were all 1st Round Draft picks, with Billy being a #1 overall pick and Elvis being Top 5? Kenny King was a BEAST TOO!
i'm grown and raised in detroit, and i'm here to tell you billy sims was incredible. thank you billy.
One thing Sims had on Sanders was Sims' immediate impact. Sanders first season saw the Lions go from 4-12 to 7-9. But Sims first years saw the Lions go from 2-14 to 9-7 and barely miss the playoff.
Good barbecue
❤️ billy ball, billy sims
@@alexjames2264 billy sims restaurant
Billy reminds me of George Foreman... it's impossible to not like the guy.
EXACTLY
Hes sexy💋💋💋
If Billy Sims didn't have that devasted knee injuries in the 1984 NFL season he will have 10,000 and an NFL HOF but it a damn shame that his NFL career was short
@M thanks for the absolutely irrelevant, rambling and immature diatribe.
@@marcusfrombritishcolumbia8141 In that 1989 midfield scene with Barry Sanders, I thought he looked like Billy Dee Williams, and I think that's good looking (and smooth) company. It's good to be Billy.
I've eaten dinner with Billy, played slots will Billy, and drank beer with him ,too. He is truly a great dude!
That is some freaking awesome
your a lucky man. He's sounds like a great guy to spend time with sounds like. all three were gifted players shame that one team to have had some of the greatest and can't seem to get the ring but I know the BSs don't act bitter most players would of wanted traded
Monster running back man.
I'm SO JEALOUS!!! I was obsessed with him as an 11 y.o. in 1980. I was introduced to Queen's music b/c the Lions used 'Another One Bites the Dust' as their song that year. I had pictures of him on my notebooks and got so much $hit from other students for being 'THAT fan', esp since almost none of the other kids had even heard of him (we were in SoCal then).
I know Sanders broke all his records and went on to major greatness, but no one will ever replace Billy Sims in my mind. With apologies to Lem Barney and Sanders, there's only 1 #20 for the Lions, and that's Billy Sims. I'm so happy that he is remembered and appreciated by so many, esp Barry Switzer. Billy deserves all that-and more.
@@arthurbishop3173 Damn right.
Put this man's name up in Ford Field with all the other greats!
They did in 2004 lol
k m yes indeed
I mean, DAMN, he reinvigorated an entire franchise, the Lions, were DOORMATS, before Billy Sims, he belongs on the damn wall!!!!!
I'm shocked that his name is not displayed at Ford Field.
I just finished this vid & my jaw dropped when they said his name isn’t on Ford Field with the other Lion greats.....someone please tell me that had been rectified....someone please tell me his name is up there....and not as billy humbly joked only with his BBQ concession stand.....
Billy was one of the greatest running backs ever. His career was cut short by a terrible knee injury but he should have won two Heisman's and if he was 22 and suited up today, he would still be one of the best backs in the NFL!
Super great career at oklaholma, run ing , rickybell & billy sims holding the heisman trohpry together
I shook the man's hand at the State Fair of Oklahoma years ago. In that brief meeting, he is everything he is portrayed to be. A great man.
3 players have worn #20 for the lions: Billy Sims, Barry Sanders, and Lem Barney. That crazy, it seem you become great when you put on #20 jersey in Detroit
@Zoel Edwards night train and cj both wore 81
@Harry Engel Yes
Man, they were great already.
Lem Barney the supernatural
I am fortunate enough, to have seen them all, wear it, and, wear it well. That's saying something because, I'm a Packer fan. But, To this day, Lem Barney, had one of the sweetest punt returns that I have ever seen. While everyone positioned themselves to down the ball once it stopped rolling, Lem, snatched it up, and, ran for the touchdown, you have to see it, for, my description, does it no justice.
My bros & I still talk about his games & running. None of us are Lions fans but we all remember him running against our teams. Great respect for Sims, he deserves the HOF.
That man is still a living legend here in Oklahoma! Destitute and nearly bankrupt after having more kids and more child support than Travis Henry, he decided to open up Billy Sims barbecue with the help of some private investors. I happened to live just down the street from the very first store here in Oklahoma and today The brand is supported by 54 locations operating across six states.
We are very proud of him here! Boomer Sooner!
He has at least one restaurant in Denver and the Barbeque is pretty good!...
I wish him continued success, he was ripped off by that injury.
There one were I live in Oklahoma
Yup. CEO of a successful and growing restaurant chain. The man is a DOER and very blessed. Very happy to see his success - he would have been a sure HOF'er had it not been for the knee injury.
I'm proud of those investors that saw an angle and it helped them all.
Can you imagine if Billy or Barry either one had a line that was worth a damn?
that's what made em so great with a line we have too measure their. total carrys. in miles
Barry did. Multiple pro bowl lineman
Imagine if they were on the same team
Imagine if they had a QB or WR or a different team lol
@TheRapper10000 If another team had had a worse record than the Lions, he would have been.
If Billy Sims didn't have that devasted knee injuries in the 1984 NFL season he will have 10,000 and an NFL HOF but it a damn shame that his NFL career was short
FACTS🏈🏈
Both Sims and Barry Saunders had their careers unfornately as Detroit Lions, a team that was truly competitive, when, during the 1950s ? Too bad both didn't end up somewhere else, besides Cleveland ofcourse
Minnesota Vikings old football stadium field was very bad
Sims was almost the same age as Walter Payton and turned 25 at about game 2 of his rookie season. He was already 29 when he had that injury at 5,000 yards, but he was going to get another 5k age 29-33?. Not going to happen. Eric Dickerson gained as much his first 3 seasons as Sims gained in his 4 1/2.
I agree 100%
7:47 Seemed like that Nebraska player was trying to congratulate him on his performance and win. What a respectable dude
Billy Sims was one of my favorite running backs in those days. One of the greatest. So good, I had forgotten he only played for 4 years. That's how big a impact player he was.
I was 9 when he came to the Lions. Billy sims made me a football fan. Thank you I love Billy Sims! 💙
As a lifelong Redskins fan I was very sad when I learned the career of Billy Sims was over. It was a blast watching his highlights. The NFL lost a step for a while after he went down. Cheers to him. Thanks for entertaining us.
My favorite player growing up. A terrible injury put an abrupt end to a Hall of Fame talent. Thanks for recognizing his career.
If Billy wouldn’t have gotten injured, they’d still be trying to break this man’s records. He was amazing to watch. He was the reason this WOMAN started watching football!!
excellent burst and athleticism. The balance. He was why we watch football. Inspirational.
"Billy Sims" is how I want to be remembered: what an inspiration!
Billy Sims will never be forgotten. The state of Oklahoma and sooner Nation will always have him at the top of our charts. He's not only one of the greatest players from the University of Oklahoma but he's one of the greatest men as well
Great story of an NFL ICON.
I grew up in MI...I was 10 when he came to the Lions. I remember how excited I was getting his football card, still have it. This guy gave me so many great memories as a kid, he & the Steelers of that era distinctly inspired my love of football. That injury cut short possibly one of the greatest careers ever. Lions should be beyond ashamed his name isn't on the walls of Ford Field. What could have been we'll never know, but I'm sure he would have been one of the best...ever in the NFL.
"'I'm the other BS!" Great line!
This guy was such a great runner. watched him from collage to the pros. kept all eyes glued to the tv when he played
I love where Billy is reunited with his teammates and shakes hands with Leonard Thompson. They were best friends on the team and you can tell how delighted Billy is to see him again. Leonard was the fastest guy l ever saw. He and Billy made a great combination.
Saw him play in college and the pros. He was great. Also played in an era where the RB was supreme. Miss football the way it used to be.
I like this. I like this very much and that’s no B.S.
I see what you did there. Well played!
I met Billy at a card show a couple of years ago. After he was done signing I talked with him for about 15 minutes. I felt like I knew him for years.. just a down the earth great man
I've lived in Hooks all my life, and I got to know Billy who is such an awesome human being and great football player
What a great guy! Thanks for highlighting this great role-model... and that's coming from a Domer! GO IRISH! & GO BILLY SIMS!
Oh man that's a good story! I'm a lifelong Lions fan, grew up watching Billy and Barry. He brought so much happiness to Detroit during the hard times. This piece brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, NFL Films.
I'm 56 and remember watching Billy Sims run the wishbone at Oklahoma. He was an amazing runner and a champion in life.
Wow he such great energy, positivity, and enthusiasm. Its so infectious!
Im from Detroit & watched all of Billy & Barry. It goes without saying if Billy didnt get hurt Barry wouldn't have been allowed to wear #20. Billy was electrifying in his own right. Billy was also 1 of the sweetest runners ever to play
I think he would of been in his last days or traded for Barry
@@thatguyfrom313 If Billy wouldnt have got hurt the lions would have took Deion Sanders cause thats who they really wanted anyway but he said if they took him he would hold out for a lot of money so they took Barry instead.
I remember him playing against the Skins in DC. I was in the endzone upper deck. It was like watching a Gazelle run. It was unbelievable.
Through the years the Lions really had some top-notch superstars!
AND, wasted every one of them!!!!
@Michigan Wolverine in Austin BOOM!!)
@@royjackson872 every two of them 🙄😁
Two number 20s were THE Superstars ✌️👌
Love Billy Sims! I was blessed to be a student at OU when he was there and got to see him in action up close many times. Great guy!
Thanks for the upload!!!
He was unbelievably spectacular!!
Injuries!!😡
Boy he was great!!!
Billy Sims and Gail Sayers would have smashed every record known to man. Sayers is a salty old man whereas Sims is a humble and lovable character.
Why is Sayers salty?
He's not salty but he's very PROUD of his talents
I’m sure sayers was great and I love looking at his highlights but he only ran for over 1000 yds twice. I don’t think he was going to break jim brown’s records even if he stayed healthy. O j probably would’ve if he didn’t tear his knee in 1977. His 2 years in San Francisco were pretty bad.
@@ronsmac : Agreed...OJ would of slashed through those records. He was killing it out there!
Regardless of his short career he should be in the Hall Of Fame. He had such a huge impact on the team. His impact on the Lions was incredible.
I can’t believe he’s not in the ring of honor at Ford Field
My favorite running back of all time. Loved to watch him play. Even more than Priest Holmes.
Steve Owens was another great running back the Lions had that didn't play very long
He was from OU, too.
He also was a Heisman trophy winner. (1969)
Also, they were exactly ten years apart. Steve Owens played from 1970-1974, and Billy Simms played from 1980 to 1984.
The Fords have a habit of trading away good players which isn't good for the team.
Oh never heard of this guy👀👀 I gotta go look him up!
I'm old enough to have watched Billy Sims at OU and thankful I did.
I absolutely adored him. Talk about high stepping. I used 2 imitate it. Then poof gone.
One of the most amazing running backs I ever saw. Sims is in my top 10 all time greatest.
What a remarkable man, truly a class act and a gentleman .
Billy Name isnt on the wall. Whats wrong with the Lions????
Lions always piss me off they always have the best players in the league and just waste their talents
The Ford's incompetence to run a football organization.
That's the eternal question
Its probably because they retire the number of the player & Barry Sanders is on there & they both wore 20
The Fords needs to sell the team just run your car company let someone like Dam Gilbert buy the team ...
I got a new perspective about Mr Billy Sims I'm from Detroit at his restaurant is 7 minutes away I'm going down there today this guy is very genuine
I was a big fan of billy back in the day I never knew that he was such a classy guy.you see we didn't have social media back in them days /to see this now man what a blessing.
You should catch him on twitter. He responds to fans.
People don't know how good Billy Sims was. I'm not a lions fan nor have I seen Billy Sims play but I have heard of him.
Billy Sims NFL career is similar to the great Seattle running back back in that era Curt Warner who tore up his knee on artificial turf.
If love to see somebody make a video of the most underrated running backs. Warner makes my list. Also, Ricky Watters, Garrison Hearst, Adrian Murrell, Stephen Davis, Chris Warren, Jamal Lewis, forgetting much more!
@@southbeachtalent William Andrews, Gerald Riggs, George Rogers, Lawrence McCutcheon, Freeman, McNeill, Chuck foreman, Ernest Jackson, James wilder, Leroy Kelly,
@@pp3k3jamail Good call on all of the ones mentioned. J. Charles, H. Walker, P. Holmes, T. Barber, S. Alexander, R. Smith, Ottis Anderson, M. Allen, F. Taylor....I can go on and on. It's a tough call for me, but I think I'm going w Billy sims. Fun fact: B. Sims holds the record for most scrimmage yds/gm...I think it's around 120 yds/gm.
@@southbeachtalent Terrell(Terdell?) Middleton, Wibur Montgomery, Neal ANderson, Franco Harris --72-80, Christian Okoye, Lydell Mitchell, Calvin Hill (Grant's dad) Ottis Anderson.....great mentions by others commenting.
I saw him play on tv a few times and he was dun to watch. He was lightning quick and and athletic. I was heartbroken when he got the knee injury, such a great player.
I'm a Home Boy..Billy Sims and Barry Sanders are my favorite players of all time..good luck guy's in whatever you choose to do...I AM LOVE....# 20..
One of the greatest players ever. Probably even better than my favorite running back LT. It's a shame his career was cut short. Stupid Metrodome turf.
There's only been a few running backs who could stop and change direction from a legit full sprint, and actually make a huge gain upfield after that change of direction, to ever play in the NFL...and the Lions ended up havin the two greatest rb's to have the ability to do so....I'm a lifelong NINER fan, but have mad respect for both of the remarkable men who wore the blue #20 in Detroit....
This is the most accurate statement in this entire thread!
There was no running back who ever hit the hole and accelerated into the secondary greater than Billy Sims. He was truly one of the very few back in history to be the complete package.
Thank God I found this retrospective of Billy Sims. He was one of the best backs in history, easy top ten all-time in pure physical talent. Loved to watch him in his heyday, miss those days!"
He had amazing highlights, too bad his knee injury cut his career short.
He's an awesome guy through and through!
I am now 56 and remember this man well !! I loved watching Billy Sims in the late 70's at OU !
One of my all-time favorite players, been rooting for him since Oklahoma 🏈
My brother and I were in our early teens when we split and bought a game day Lion jersey with Billy's name on the back.We watch many Lions games together back then.My brother had gotten sick and passed away form cancer.Remebering him wearing that # 20 brings tears to my eyes.Billy was great running back.
As a kid growing up in Chicago and rooting for the hometown Bears, Billy Sims struck fear every time the Bears faced the Lions. Billy Sims was one tough running back difficult to bring down. He was elusive, had speed, and power.
Every time I’ve been around Billy you always leave rejuvenated. He is one of a kind. I think Barry is the greatest running back of all time but I would love to have seen what the original #20 would have accomplished without that knee injury.
*Sims was so Fun to watch :) He had the smooth moves & speed, SWEETNESS for sure... Thanks Billy*
Beautiful story beautiful life, love his character, that joy that exudes despite tough circumstances
Lions, yet another hard luck team. Billy Simms. A wonderful man.
20 is a magic number in Detroit's history. Two great players and two class guys
i'll never forget billy's first year in the nfl, 1980. was a big sooner fan and billy was the best there was at running back. so i'm in kansas city, the chiefs had been struggling for a few years so tickets were easy to get, i rounded up some friends, "let's go see billy sims, he'll do something special... you gotta see this guy play." 155 yards on 28 carries, 2 receptions another 29 yards. 2 touchdown runs (the lions only touchdowns), a 45 touchdown run, and a 1 yard leap right in front of us. i'll never forget the 45 yard t.d. run, half the people in the stadium jumped to their feet, half the people there were to see billy sims... at their peak i'd take billy sims over anyone.
I agree with Barry, Billy's afro was tremendous
Billy Sims basically got deleted from history the moment that Barry Sanders took his number
SanFranFan30 Not according to Barry
@@TheMan750 true but to everyone who only ever got to watch Barry, yeah
Barry was flashier, but it was hard to sustain drives with his inconsistent running style that could often put his team in bad down and distance situations. I prefer more of a ball control / drive sustaining back myself, but to each their own.
Sins was better.
@Help Usall maybe the greatest cover corner of all time. There are HoF receivers who played against Lem in the 70's who contest with that.
I was a little kid in NYC watching Billy Sims. I dreamt of being a running back, and he was one of my idols. I got a NFL Greatest Running Backs Book from my school book sale and he was in it. I never knew what happened to him until now. He's legendary!
“First round first pick sounds pretty good until they tell you where you’re going.” Lol truer words were never spoken.
Honestly, I think Sims could've been in the top 5 of all time barring injury. He had power, moves, a 5th gear and he was tougher than a $2 steak.
I grew up in Chicago watching the great Walter Payton , let me tell you, Billy was the closest back to Walter I've EVER seen!! Billy had H O F talent 100%
@@fan4life345 Yeah man he was a freak. Saw him catch an 80 yard touchdown against the Bears. I think it was a thanksgiving game, don't remember for sure it was a long time ago. But he was flying like a WR.
Wow what a great guy I’m so glad I watched this he deserves to be in the Lions ring of honor for sure
Billy Sims first year with the Lions was the first year my family moved back to Michigan. I love Barry Sanders, but no Detroit Lions player has a bigger piece of my heart than Billy Sims.
His highlights were phenomenal,
That karate kick was out of this world.
Even before 18:16 i was thinking the exact same thing. He's one good guy . He's likeable. When you're likeable people are more likely to help you than if you're a total jerk .
Your remark absolutely supports the notion that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I would like to also add that there are two things arrogant and/ or rude people seem to either never glean or do so too tardy: your actions and words can have consequences; and there is a disrespect that goes with being bereft of respect; I have a half-witted, half - brother that is a summit shelf example.
In Detroit as a kid we had to have a "Billy" which was the face mask he wore he was the greatest in the 80s for Detroit
@jedaiah777 - Also from Michigan. Grand Rapids though, but same here, we had to have the “Billy” face mask. Sometimes, Billy would put white tape on it, and we all copied that too. Did you guys do that? I bet we’re about the same age. Haha!
@@clay9333 Cant forget the tape :)
Why did this almost make me cry?
I got a copy of that game which was Oilers 1st win of 83 season but Billy Sims made the play of the game with that lightning kick
B.S Billy Sims and Barry Sanders wow
Brings back a lot of memories when Billy would visit us or we visited him. Awesome RB and person.
I was a fan game one and became a Lions fan because of him. I'm no longer a Lions fan but I will always think of Billy Sims as an all time great.
I was watching the college football highlights program that aired on Sunday mornings back in the 70's. Sims stayed in the backfield to block on a rare passing play. A defensive end was heading for the quarterback and Sims leveled him with a forearm. I became a fan that day. A guy who can run like that and is willing to do the grunt work too? How can you not love that?
I haven't forgotten him,He's from OU,One of the greatest backs ever.
Legendary college running back, billy sim and Charlie white holding the hesiman trophy, great goal line running back
Legendary college football running back, great at jumping the goal line for a touchdown
@@lloydkline3265 Do you remember the Selmon Brothers??
@@speciesspecialist2789 they knockout Michigan legendary quarterback Rick leach of the game in the 1976 orange bowl, he came back in the game, leroy and Dewey salmon
leroy played for Tampa bay, hall of fame career Dewey play for NFL too, joe Washington was a great NFL running back played in the orange bowl game 1976, no bill sim however
@@lloydkline3265 Hell Yea,My Man..
Billy Sims is by far my favorite Lion..And that Karate kick run I watched it live. My second favorite run all time next to Dorsett's 99yd run against the Vikings
Being from Romulus, Mi, #20 was the only Jersey I ever owned... He was a great football player! Go Billy!!!
Billy gave Detroit pride in the Lions, BOOM BOOM BOOM ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST was the theme song, thanks Billy.
One of my all time favorites
Thanks for making this documentary this just made my whole day
The man who wore the infamous #20 before Barry Sanders. I see where Barry got some of that flamboyant potential from 😂👍
Now I know more of the story on Barry Sims other than those Heisman Trophy shows he attends shouting. He is the uncle you wish you have at family reunions. I have to go to Little Rock to eat his barbeque
One of the greatest in a short career
Damn his highlights kinda nice
That hi-carachi kick is what drew me into foot all too!
Can't believe I never heard of him... Definitely on my GREATEST PLAYERS LIST... put his name on the wall...
What? Such a sheltered live you've led.
@@24gmj2010 not at all... You're just probably old as hell