Continuing the discussion from How Good Was Barry Sanders Actually?:
I became a Lions fan in '89, Barry was all I knew, but there is this guy named Billy Sims that was a huge star, and who’s name brings a lot of joy from old-time Lions fans- and I know little to nothing about him.
How good was Billy? Give me some fireside stories from your memories of watching him play.
Google Billy Sims Karate Kick.
Now this is something I can get behind.
Kicking defensive players. Imagine Jack Fox with this new strategy.
Billy sims was awsome . Much different running style then berry .ran low and I mean low to the ground . Think a smaller but faster Earl
Cambell
Bro, if they don’t know Billy, they probably don’t know Earl, either. Js 
He was Monty good.
40 years ago yesterday
Got this in yesterday.
Happy Camper. Gonna go with my autigraphed Barry rookie.
Just need a Lem Barney auto rookie now…
He was a cross between Earl Campbell and Walter Payton….probably not quite as good as either but had some similarities to both. But I’m curious if he could have played at least 10 years, probably not, but he looked very exciting. I didn’t really get to see any of the three that I’m talking about play live all that much. I didn’t see Campbell or Billy at all….caught the last two years of Payton but he was on his way out. So I didn’t get to see the best of either at their peak, at least live
I feel like the definitive answer needs to come from @Billysimsmademedo
Billy was one of the best natural RBs I ever saw. He was so explosive and physical also a good receiver out of the backfield. It was unfortunate that 3 of his prime years were at Oklahoma and I believe he turned 25 his first year in the NFL. He had a short career and I remember he had problems with turf toe before he retired. As a Nebraska fan watching him at OU was downright scary.
When he retired, he was # 2 all time in yards/game, including a period where he played w turf toe and after a bad knee injury and surgery and you could tell he wasn’t right.
That was 38 years ago.
He is still #7.
(Barry, Dickerson, Payton and Clinton Portis.
Oooooh yeeeahhh, also…
Billy was #2 in history when he retired for yards per catch as a RB (11.1), behind Gayle Sayers (11.7).
I looked up every good running back since Billy.
Walter, Faulk, Edge, LT, McCaffrey, Saquon, Jamaal Chafles, Priest Holmes Shady, Ricky Watters, ,Forte, AP, Marcus Allen, Dorsett, Bo, the rest of the top 20 in rushing yards, some other dudes…about 40 in all…
Still #2.
OJ is the only other one above 10 yards/catch(10.6), though Thurman Thomas, as you may suspect is probably what Billy woulda looked like with a long career (9.6). He’s 4th.
Billy was Inner Circle Elite.
Being a season ticket holder from '77 to '83, saw every one of his home games. Damn knees…
Ironically, I never saw Barry live.
I’ve told my Sims story before but I’ll tell it again. Feel free to scroll if you’ve heard.
Went to Soaring Eagle in Mt. Pleasant to watch the Harbaugh vs Harbaugh SB. It was held in a large banquet room. Numerous Lions players were sitting at a dais type table on stage.
At any rate, I’m wearing an Oklahoma State autographed jersey (Barry’s). A guy walks up and taps me on the shoulder and say, “hey I know that guy”. It was Billy Sims and I knew it was Billy Sims. So he went back to his table and I returned to mine.
At some point in the next few minutes, I’m just thinking you have to do it. It’s stupid and he might hate you, but you have to ask.
So I pony up and mosey over to his table like a total dick, and say something along the lines of “Billy, I know this is a really dumb question but this is all I’ve got on me, would you sign this for me?”
He promptly found a sharpie while I took it off and signed it:
“Billy Sims. Oklahoma. Heisman 78” like a boss.
So now I have this Barry OSU jersey with a massive rival school player - both won Heismans, both played for the Lions - signing my jersey. So now both were on it. Such a nice guy about it, too. Shook my hand, laughed and said it was one of the funniest things he has ever done.
Man I wish I still had that thing.
I found this last night - a great NFL films special about Billy
Man, I wish I could’ve seen this man run the football.
The way he carried the football = Walter Payton/Earl Cambell
The running ability = Eric Dickerson/O.J. Simpson
Cool Barry Switzer story about recruiting Sims!
The star that burns twice as bright only last half as long.
Billy Sims was a bad ass. Seriously, he could turn the corner, run between the tackles and had enough speed to hit a home run chunk play. Best RB I ever seen on the goal line. Speed wise about the same as Barry but he didn’t have Barry’s moves. Size wise about like Kevin Smith. Infact think Kevin Smith with Barrys speed and a bit more power than both. Tough , ran with attitude. This current coach staff would have loved him. You guys who didn’t get to see him play would have loved hom too. He had as much talent as Walter Payton, unfortunately not the longevity and his career was cut short with injuries combined with being on the older side when he got drafted.
Seeing Billy Sims’s karate kick while watching my first Lions game on tv as a small child is what single handedly made me a Lions fan.
So I was pretty young. But Billy Simms was how I started my love of the Lions.
I remember my parents took us to a big party at one of their friend’s houses to watch the game vs the 49ers in 83. That year the Lions had won the Central Division but in those days there was only one wildcard so the worst division winner played the WC and the top three teams got a bye. The Lions were the 3rd seed so they played the 2nd seed 49ers, who had won their first SB in 81, then strike shortened 82 was a weird, one, then back to themselves in 83. In those days, unlike Barry’s days, Billy Sims WAS the offense. They didn’t have a whole lot in the way of a QB or WRs. In fact, that day, the QB, Gary Danielson of announcing fame, threw like 5 INTs. But the Lions had a really good defense and on offense they had Billy Sims.
What I remember about Billy was how he would leap into the end zone for a TD. I remember him a little like an anti-Barry where he was actually good at the short yardage stuff. He was really fast to the outside, but he had some power to him too., And while some people remember Walter Payton as the guy who leapt over the defensive for the TD, I remember Billy doing that (what ever happened to the art of doing this? they must not coach it anymore). I also remember his high stepping. He loved to high step. And he was a very aggressive runner for his size. He was a great combination of fast and strong. He just had a burst. His personality was also the opposite of Barry. Very outspoken and fun loving (but not in a bad way).
That game against the 49ers was the start of much much heartbreak for me as a Lions fan. Eddie Murray was a very good kicker and like they said he should have made that 44 yard kick with his eyes closed, but the winds at Candlestick were always havoc on kickers and the football gods said no that day. The crazy thing is to think if they had won that game. Its not like Washington blew out SF the next week. They lost on a BS PI on Ronnie Lott. We had a good defense. Who knows what would have happened if we make that kick.
Sorry so long, but if you ask me what I remember that is what sticks out…
