This next Hall of Fame birthday is a special one, September 18, 1955.
That’s the birth of Billy Sims, who’s a former running back from the University of Oklahoma. As a freshman reserve, Billy was part of Oklahoma’s national championship team of 1975.
An early-season injury derailed his participation in the ’76 season, but because of the few minutes logged, the NCAA granted Simms an extra year of eligibility. Did Billy Sims ever make that extra time count?
With hard work, rehabilitation, and recuperation, Sims became a superstar among college football running backs. In 1978, he rushed for 1,762 yards and came back in 1979 with over 1,500 yards rushing.
He combined to find the end zone 42 times in his junior and senior seasons. He earned the Associated Press and United Press International Player of the Year honors in 1978 and was awarded the Heisman Trophy. After the 1979 season, he took second in the Heisman voting to USC standout rusher Charles White.
The Detroit Lions drafted Billy in the 1979 NFL Draft, but he played for four seasons until he suffered a career-ending knee injury. Billy Sims was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
