Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma Sooners: A Mount Rushmore of modern OU GOATs

By Chip Rouse

KEYSTONE, SD - OCTOBER 01: Mount Rushmore National Memorial towers over the South Dakota landscape on October 1, 2013 near Keystone, South Dakota. Mount Rushmore and all other national parks were closed today after congress failed to pass a temporary funding bill, forcing about 800,000 federal workers off the job. A bulletin issued by the Department of Interior states, 'Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to close and secure national park facilities and grounds in order to suspend all activities ...Day use visitors will be instructed to leave the park immediately...' (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
KEYSTONE, SD - OCTOBER 01: Mount Rushmore National Memorial towers over the South Dakota landscape on October 1, 2013 near Keystone, South Dakota. Mount Rushmore and all other national parks were closed today after congress failed to pass a temporary funding bill, forcing about 800,000 federal workers off the job. A bulletin issued by the Department of Interior states, 'Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to close and secure national park facilities and grounds in order to suspend all activities ...Day use visitors will be instructed to leave the park immediately...' (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) /
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Billy Sims

Billy Sims was like a gazelle on the gridiron. I like the way the Oklahoma Football Media Guide describes his athleticism and running style:

"“Billy Sims is a 6-foot, 205-pound running back (who) swept through defenses like a tornado flying across the Oklahoma landscape.”"

Sims played five seasons at Oklahoma for coach Barry Switzer (1975-1979; he was redshirted in 1976). Until this past college season (2016), he was the career rushing leader at OU. Samaje Perine is the new record holder in that category, having gained four more yards than Sims’ 4,118 career rushing yards.

Injuries plagued Sims his first couple of years at Oklahoma. He didn’t really get to show the full range of his skills until his redshirt junior year, when he set a Big Eight single-season rushing record with 1,896 yards and 22 touchdowns. He went over 200 yards rushing in four games that season and was awarded the 1978 Heisman Trophy, the third Oklahoma player to receive the honor.

His final two seasons at Oklahoma, Sims led the Big Eight in rushing and was No. 1 in the nation in scoring. He also was a consensus All-American in both seasons. Sims was the runner-up in the 1979 Heisman voting to Charles White of USC in his bid to become only the second player in Heisman history to win the award in back-to-back seasons.

The Sooner superstar who wore the No. 20 jersey set an NCAA record for average yards per rush for running backs carrying the ball a minimum of 500 times, averaging seven yards per carry for his career.

Sims was the No. 1 overall player taken in the 1979 NFL Draft, the top pick of the Detroit Lions. He played just five seasons in the NFL after suffering a career-ending knee injury in 1984.

In 1995 the great Billy Sims became the 11th Oklahoma Sooner to be inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.

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