Billy Sims: If this STAR HALFBACK doesn't get injured, The Lions NEVER DRAFT BARRY SANDERS?? | FPP

[@sixburgh64ss]

Sims was also the reason Barry wore #20. He had planned to keep #21, his college number at OSU, but was encouraged by the Lions to carry on the legacy of the number worn by Billy and Lem Barney. Sanders' father was also a die hard Oklahoma fan.

[@滋榎本]

If Billy Sims hadn't had that horrific injury, I think he would have had HOF career. Billy's 1 of the most underrated RB's in NFL history....

[@djp2k2]

Hard to imagine what a two-headed monster add Running Back featuring Billy Sims and Barry Sanders would have looked like. Arguably the best Hall of Fame running back tandem to never play together

[@chevy4x466]

I watched em both, I think sims was better than Payton

[@IAMGavinMitchell]

But he didn't stay healthy. So that's that.

[@seanswinton6242]

​@@IAMGavinMitchell What messed him up wasn't his fault. First he suffered turf toe snd then his knee injury because of the terrible artificial turf which at the time was like pained cement.

[@ronfox5519]

He carried a mediocre team with a bad coach who used him terribly. In a better situation, he'd have done much better.

[@roncarlyle8572]

I loved watching Billy Sims play, he was awesome.

[@philgod420]

Even as a Horns fan, Sims deserves all the respect in the world. Absolute talent.

[@chevy4x466]

No doubt, he was as good as anyone

[@zoeledwards6617]

It’s cool that 3 Detroit Lions hall of famers both wore #20: Billy Sims, Lem Barney, and of course Barry Sanders.

[@IAMGavinMitchell]

Sims is not a Hall of Famer

[@elbowgang9715]

​@gavanmitchell9516 I see you can't read. Billy Sims is in the Lions Hall of Fame/All Time Team which is what he meant.

[@IAMGavinMitchell]

@elbowgang9715 he is not a PRO football Hall of Famer gang. So yeah, the jokes on you.

[@IAMGavinMitchell]

@elbowgang9715 if I wanted to imply Detroit Lions Hall of Fame, I would have implied specifically that.

[@zoeledwards6617]

@@elbowgang9715 thank you exactly.

[@bigant5645]

Great job on the mini-documentary! FPP. Sims was one of my favorite players. It was sad when he got injured and had to retire.

[@djp2k2]

Great video!. Glad to see my Lions getting some love as a native detroiter the morning raised didn't get to see him play but definitely saw Barry and he always would speak highly of Billy.

[@1lthrnk]

The Lions never changed they were a 2nd tier team only because they don’t build around star offensive players. With no line they run off two great players, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, and Cincinnati are all built this way.

[@mrtnt3462]

SUPER FUN FACT: BILLY SIMS IS STILL MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE RUNNING BACK COLLEGE OR PRO!!!

[@YTC1234]

There’s another great Hooks RB named Keyshawn Walls who broke some of Sims’ records recently and Sims came down and met Keyshawn.

[@jamarcuscarter5197]

He a beast 2 East Texas 903

[@Bart848]

Earnest Byner Ottis O.J. Anderson Craig Ironhead Heyward Marion Butts Neal Anderson were some great running backs back in the day

[@qg8825]

Neal Anderson!! Neal had the original Superman dive into into the end zone

[@chevy4x466]

Sims was better than all of em

[@IAMGavinMitchell]

Good but never great.

[@kekkomartin5848]

Nah. Not Ironhead.

[@Goji-eletienne]

Decent facts, however, on the whole, this was a very bad take in saying him not getting hurt would've led necessarily, to them NOT drafting Barry... 9 seasons is the average "long career" at the position, Billy, with or without that injury, would've been their version of '85 Walter Payton by the time '89 rolled around.

[@jaycarter646]

Thank you so much keep doing underrated people

[@Riles3152]

The original #20 in Detroit, Billy Simms, wasn't QUITE as exiting or dynamic as Barry Sanders, but he was the more versatile and prototypical RB IMO. So fun to watch and you can easily tell how much he enjoyed playing the game.

[@bradleystraley6165]

"The Lions would have to rely on their second ranked scoring defense" Legit the one and only time I've heard that in my life. I'm just still so used to the Lions being... Well, the worst

[@kekkomartin5848]

The Lions had a fine defense in the 90s as well. Chris Spielman is still the best defensive Lions player I've ever seen. Doug English was close.

[@Goji-eletienne]

That's because a former QB cursed them to suffer for 50 years or more

[@Lionel-bw4id]

Billy was the man

[@55cleon]

Billy Sims Never Rushed For Less Than 100 Yards At Hooks. He Played Against My Cousins From Atlanta, TX. Years Later I Played Against Jeremiah Trotter LB From Hooks, TX And The Philadelphia Eagles And Washington Redskins (Commanders).

[@blakebrown84]

Billy Sims only played 5 seasons in the league, which all of them with the Detroit Lions. He would’ve been a great running back if he hadn’t to deal with his injuries.🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

[@mandeango1]

Excellent video.

[@williampotts7205]

Oh boy do I remember Billy Sims. What great potential but then the injury. Billy.... you were good. Best thing that happened do to Billy, the Lions get Barry.

[@Det1911]

Good call on Billy

[@jasonic-ks2tm]

John starks is in the green room crying! Also would love a duo video of Chad Ochocinco and t.j. whose your momma

[@bradleygideon5452]

People don't realize Simms was a 25 year old rookie. He would have been 34 in 1989.

[@jayg1438]

yep, Detroit would have still drafted Barry.

[@eugenedantzler4485]

Mannnn Imagine if he was on a better team.......... Gayle Sayers made it to the Hof in 5 seasons.... ..

[@kekkomartin5848]

Sayers is in the HOF based on his potential. Look at the numbers.

[@fungisaiiblount1230]

Am not a football guy but this guy is good and put Tony Allan

[@schuylersavage276]

Wow. Dude had 100 and 103 yards in his last two games he ever played. Was at 85 yards per game that final season before injury. 3 out of last 4 games he hit 100. Dang. Dude was a HOF

[@kekkomartin5848]

I once had a guy argue with me that Sims was better than Sanders. Completely different backs but the same points I made in that argument apply here. Sims was already breaking down by year 4. Eric Hipple talked about it. Sims style was too upright and he took too many hits up high, there was no way even without the injury that he would have had Sanders longevity or durability. By the 1989 draft Detroit would still have been looking for Sims replacement even if he hadn't gotten hurt in 84. An even more telling stat. In 4.5 years and just over 1300 touchs Sims had 40 fumbles. Barry over his whole career and over 3400 touches had 41....The main reason that Detroit was in a position to draft Barry was due to Danielson getting hurt and Jeff Komlo having to start. Does that still happen if Billy Sims was still on the team? I don't know, but probably. He would have been a shell by 88 though. Remember he would have been 33.

[@jameslawson2663]

ALL Detroit had was Billy Sims on offense. Everyone in China knew who the ball was going to. Barry don’t forget was on a dynamic offensive team. First team to ever have 3 WRs get 1,000 yds in the same season. Barry was special no doubt but he did benefit from an explosive run and shoot offense. Sims had nothing, not even decent OLinemen. There also Barry benefited from having a HOF O lineman almost his entire career not to mention 2 other pro bowlers so I’m not as set on Barry being better either. I do know this, when Detroit got to the 5 yd line with Sims that was an automatic TD. That wasn’t the case with Barry at all.

[@kekkomartin5848]

@@jameslawson2663 It's sad when people get easily verifiable facts wrong. Barry had 0 PFHOF linemen in his career. Lomas Brown is in The Pride of the Lions, and the College Football Hall of Fame (which is nearly as impressive a museum as the PFHOF) but not the PFHOF. Kevin Glover also made the pro bowl while playing with Barry. Detroit had 2 other linemen during Barry's time who were pro bowlers, but they made the pro bowl with other teams. (Bill Fralic with the Falcons and Jeff Hastings with the Steelers) Meanwhile SIms had Keith Dorney, a Pro Bowler himself. Barry's lack of goal line TDs comes from the bafflingly stupid decisions by Lions coaches to pull him when inside the 10. Further, you're overstating the Lions 'explosive' offense. They never had 3 1000 yard receivers in the same year. the closest they came was 96 when Herman Moore had 108 receptions for 1296 yards, Brett Perriman had 94 receptions for 1021 yards and Johnnie Morton had 55 receptions for 714 yards. From 90-93, Detroit didn't even have a 1000 yard receiver at all. Barry averaged 5 yards a carry over 3000 carries and a hair under 100 yards a game. Billy had 4.5 yards a carry with 1/3 of the carries, and averaged 85 yards a game. Billy put the ball on the carpet 40 times over 1300 touches, about a 3% fumble rate. Barry fumbled 41 times in 3600 touches, about a 1% fumble rate. By every measurable statistic save as a receiver out of the backfield, Barry was superior.

[@pouncingpantherpucks2779]

Please do more NFL players. Love the versatility.

[@chadquigley4311]

Billy Sims is the reason I’m a Lions fan to this day.

[@chevy4x466]

Sims was as good as anyone who ever played. Artificial turf killed this rare talent

[@IAMGavinMitchell]

Even if he stayed healthy, there's no guarantee he'll play for over ten years in Detroit. The running back position itself has the shortest lifespan for a player.

[@dexterwilliams7172]

It's a miracle Barry Sanders lasted as long as he did. The backs who preceded Sanders were no joke. Billy Sims,Mel Farr and Steve Owens. Most running back don't last long enough to get to be known.

[@jamesdelaney3797]

That flying leg kick is legendary

[@jpmnky]

Could you do a video on the QBs taken before Joe Montana in the 1979 NFL Draft? Phil Simms and Jack Thompson are two.

[@daviddillard7135]

Yo boss! Miss the vids, hope all is well & you’re back uploading soon!

[@jamesdelaney3797]

Him and kurt Warner, 2 devastating knee injuries that ruined careers

[@djp2k2]

Another short-lived but great career I'd like to see covered would be the Nigerian Nightmare, Christian Okoye.

[@aVerveQuest]

Sims, William Andrews and Rickey Bell were up there with Payton, but two had career ending injury, sadly Ricky Bell died. Running back Joe Delaney was active around that same time and put up over a thousand yards for the Chiefs before ending up dying trying to save free kids from drowning. The amazingly brave thing is that Delaney jumped in to save them without knowing how to swim himself. Personally I'd like to see all of them in the Hall of Fame, what is stars of slippery slope. Quarterback Greg Cook wideout Sterling Sharpe running back Robert Edwards running back Joe Cribbs..... There are a ton of players that had a bathing potential that just fell by the wayside tragically for one reason or another

[@itz-luigi1210]

Robert Edwards played 1 season or 2 tops, had a terrible ypc.

[@johnliberty3647]

Sean Taylor too

[@jamiecrawford8133]

Glad to see you mention William Andrews dude was a great player and I don't think anybody ran harder then he did. Great receiver too. Tragedy that his career was ended with a non contact injury. Real shame nobody knows who he is.

[@chevy4x466]

I thought sims was better than payton

[@jameslawson2663]

I love Barry Sanders but Billy Sims has always been my favorite. He was lightening in a bottle. I remember when Detroit drafted Barry they was a few of us still hanging on to the optimism that Billy still might come back. How unreal would that backfield have been ? Lol

[@lancelot_53]

As a suggestion for the next athlete: do one about Priest Holmes

[@jayg1438]

Detroit would have still needed Barry Sanders. Sims was drafted in 1980, Barry in 1989. Few RBs last more than 10 seasons, and Sims would have been 33-34 by the '89 draft. Sims was a beast though. Best RB in the 1980 draft, and I say that as a Cribbs/ Buffalo fan.

[@KWTX22]

The state of Texas got the GOAT running backs

[@nicklawson2]

And he would kick you in the face karate style mid stride and keep going

[@JosephMiller-hu7bq]

If there knee surgeries back then he would've came back and HOF no doubt he was one of greatest runners the difference between him and Sanders was one got hurt no surgery and think how many HOF careers were ending by a knee injury Gail Syers sad and Barry never got hurt Billy just played during the wrong time if he or Barry was around today they would both be superstars

[@teddcoleman8736]

Sounds familiar number 20 caring the team Billy Sims was a great RB too bad he got hurt he would have been a Lions HOFER loved the way he played the game One Pride Let's Go Lions

[@nastyc85]

Sims would have been 34 in 89 when Sanders was drafted. This video is somewhat misleading.

[@amadousy7543]

Butterfly effect….

[@BillCagney]

I thought the same thing. Since Backs who ran a lot especially back in the days faded out right after 30 or soon after you are 100% correct Sanders would still be the play in 89.....

[@bradhollihan5667]

Lions still draft Barry. In 1988 Sims would of been 33-34.

[@petercena9497]

I would choose Sims on my team before Sanders.

[@johnliberty3647]

I would too, no knock on Sanders but he wasn’t a punch it in type RB. If I had Sanders and Simms I would only play Sanders on 3rd and long or if I was down in the 4th quarter

[@petercena9497]

@@johnliberty3647 Right, and if Sims had not gotten injured, a possible top 10 all time.

[@chevy4x466]

No doubt. Sims was a goal line artist, leaping over the pile into the end zone. Speed, power, cutting. He was awsome. Fucking artificial turf

[@checkdown3774]

Love his pulled pork.

[@johnliberty3647]

Running backs have short careers. I forgot what year Sanders was drafted but I am pretty sure Sims would not have been a productive ball carrier by then.

[@FlintGiven]

this title is a bit mystifying...like by the time 1989 comes Billy Sims would of been a t point where maybe they draft a RB, again this is just hypothetical or speculation but also u list a ton of guys that were stars that got hurt and were never the same, the same year Curt Warner got hurt. Happens all the time.

[@YTHatesMe-999]

If Billy Sims had come along about ten years later, that career ending injury would have easily been repaired. The medical science really advanced between Billy's career and Barry's.

[@Goji-eletienne]

Except NAH... If what you say was true, Bo Jackson wouldn't have had his own career shortened in the early 90's... The effective knee surgery and recovery wasn't fully realized until the early 2000's when the Bills drafted a recently injured #WillisMcGahee and let him spend his first year in surgery and rehab. When Barry came in, a knee was still ending most careers.

[@johndavis9321]

​@@Goji-eletienneyes although bo Jackson's injury was and even today is extremely rare it may steal be a career threatening injury even with the medical advancements in sports medicine

[@therealkevru]

Please do robert pack

[@Modeek6]

Im going to ask this question everytime until you answer it. Are you only releasing new profiles on saturdays from here on out?

[@ForgottenPlayerProfiles]

Check the last two posts in the community tab

[@Modeek6]

@@ForgottenPlayerProfiles thank you

[@marioaustin9312]

Kung fu billy Sims 😅

[@pleasebeinteresting]

Can you make a John Jefferson doc?

[@jamesdelaney3797]

Back in the days when rb was high value

[@ChristopherMosley-dj3kt]

People say I'm crazy when I express that Billy Sims was better than Barry Sanders but to me it's not even close

[@stevencollins920]

Yea ok lol

[@johnliberty3647]

I would say it’s close but I would start Sims over Sanders. The most important thing a RB could do was move the chains and Sims could do that. Sanders could dominate a highlight film so the name dropping casual fans could bring him up more often. No knock on Barry Sanders I just feel Sims would make a better guy to build an offense around in that time period

[@paulgrieshop5024]

Sims could catch the pass better

[@1lthrnk]

They both were far better than Emmitt Smith, with support from backs and an offensive line Sanders would have passed Jim Brown in a year and a half. Had he been able to get traded to a team that would build the line, more backs, and receivers

[@jerryalexander8803]

If Sims doesn’t get injured the lions probably draft Deion Sanders, but they still may have drafted Barry

[@TheEV3RGRAND]

Lions HB Dexter Bussey finished his 10 year career as Billy Sims teammate with 5104 rushing,Billy Sims finished his Lions career with 5105 rushing yards in just 4 years, and Billy has more rushing yards than Chicago Bears HOF HB Gayle Sayers...The Fords need 2 stop being petty and campaign 4 Billy's induction.

[@4392amtrak]

Keyshawn Johnson profile please

[@JasonHickerson-p5s]

Sims retired in 1983. Sanders was drafted in 1989. The Lions would've gotten Sanders regardless.

[@bigglilwayne7050]

If Sean Taylor doesnt lose his life defending his home from most bitchmade burglars of all time, Ronnie Lott and Ed Reed are each one rung under their current rankings

[@mistermann3225]

Loved Sean Taylor. But he would have never been better than Ed Reed. Still would have been first ballet HOF...

[@bigglilwayne7050]

@@mistermann3225 I can only go off of Ed Reed's stance on Sean Taylor, which has always seemed to come from a place of genuine and sincere admiration, rather than humble praise... Taylor was Bennie Blades and Ed Reed rolled into one

[@terrenceliburd8655]

He was hard to tackle his legs went every which away

[@marshalljankins4526]

Boomer!!!

[@justineebourgeois3420]

Billy Sims > Barry Sanders 🤷‍♀️

[@JohnDaDong93]

Actually not a crazy opinion to have. In a world where injuries didn’t exist, at least.

[@BillCagney]

Hard to say since he did not have a full career... Sanders from day one was a 1400 plus yard rusher as well! It would be interesting to see but it did not play out unfortunately.