Damian Sims
Encyclopedia
Damian Sims is a professional Canadian football
running back
free agent
. He was signed by the BC Lions
of the Canadian Football League
as a street free agent in 2009. He played college football
for the Iowa Hawkeyes
.
His uncle is fellow BC Lion, Korey Banks
.
. Against Purdue
, Sims completed a pass to teammate Drew Tate
in the first pass attempt of his career. Sims had one kickoff return for 37 yards in the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin
and then a three yard kickoff return against LSU
in the Capital One Bowl
. He recorded 17 rushing attempts for 45 yards and added two pass receptions for a yard in the season.
Sims saw action in 12 of Iowa's 13 games in 2005, and started off playing cornerback
before switching back to running back
. He played cornerback against Ball State
recording three tackles, and then switched back to running back against Northern Iowa
. In his return he totaled 40 yards on two rushing attempts. Against Illinois
he had six rushing attempts for 81 yards. 66 of his 81 yards came on a touchdown run late in the game. He rushed for a career best 104 yards in the Minnesota
game, including a 71 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. In the Outback Bowl
against Florida
he recorded six yards on four rushes and had 12 yards on one pass catch. Sims added 107 kickoff return yards on five attempts including a team season high 47 yard return in the Florida game.
Sims started 2006, with seven rushes for 39 yards against Montana
and then 10 rushes for 51 yards along with an 11 yard reception against Syracuse
. He rushed 15 times for 55 yards against Illinois and scored his first touchdown of the season in the game. Sims' first career college start came against Purdue where he had 20 rushes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. His second start of the season came against Indiana
where he ran 22 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns. In the Alamo Bowl
against Texas
he ran for 26 yards on 12 rushes.
Following spring practice in 2007, Sims' senior season he was listed as the second running back on the depth chart. His third career 100 rushing yards in a game came against Northern Illinois
when he ran for 110 yards on 16 carries. He led the rushing attack against Syracuse with 12 rushes for 62 yards and a touchdown. In the Michigan State
game, Sims ran for a season best 30 yard run and totaled 35 yards on three carries for the game.
. At the NFL Combine
, Sims ran a 4.47 forty yard dash. However he went undrafted and returned to Iowa to finish his degree and care for his daughter. In 2009, Sims' uncle BC Lions
defensive back
Korey Banks
told Lions player personnel director Roy Shivers
about his nephew and gave him a tape of Sims. Impressed, Shivers invited Sims to tryout and Sims ran a 4.4 forty yard dash, which was seven-tenths of a second faster than he ran nearly two years earlier. Sims was officially signed by the Lions in late April 2009. Sims was reporetedly one of the leading contenders to replace Stefan Logan
at running back with his main competition being Martell Mallett
. He was released at the end of training camp on June 24, 2009.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
as a street free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
.
His uncle is fellow BC Lion, Korey Banks
Korey Banks
Korey Banks is a defensive back for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.-NFL:...
.
College career
As a freshman in 2004, Sims played in seven games with his debut coming against Ohio StateOhio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
. Against Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
, Sims completed a pass to teammate Drew Tate
Drew Tate
Drew Tate is a professional American and Canadian football quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Iowa....
in the first pass attempt of his career. Sims had one kickoff return for 37 yards in the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
and then a three yard kickoff return against LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
in the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
. He recorded 17 rushing attempts for 45 yards and added two pass receptions for a yard in the season.
Sims saw action in 12 of Iowa's 13 games in 2005, and started off playing cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
before switching back to running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. He played cornerback against Ball State
Ball State Cardinals football
The Ball State Cardinals football team represents Ball State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Mid-American Conference .-Recent history:...
recording three tackles, and then switched back to running back against Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa Panthers
The Northern Iowa Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Northern Iowa. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 15 varsity teams in 11 sports:...
. In his return he totaled 40 yards on two rushing attempts. Against Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
he had six rushing attempts for 81 yards. 66 of his 81 yards came on a touchdown run late in the game. He rushed for a career best 104 yards in the Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
game, including a 71 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. In the Outback Bowl
2005 Outback Bowl
The 2005 edition to the Outback Bowl featured the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Wisconsin Badgers. Both teams came into the game ranked and with only 2 losses....
against Florida
2005 Florida Gators football team
The 2005 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2005 college football season...
he recorded six yards on four rushes and had 12 yards on one pass catch. Sims added 107 kickoff return yards on five attempts including a team season high 47 yard return in the Florida game.
Sims started 2006, with seven rushes for 39 yards against Montana
Montana Grizzlies football
The Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference, where it is a founding member, since 1963...
and then 10 rushes for 51 yards along with an 11 yard reception against Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
. He rushed 15 times for 55 yards against Illinois and scored his first touchdown of the season in the game. Sims' first career college start came against Purdue where he had 20 rushes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. His second start of the season came against Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
where he ran 22 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns. In the Alamo Bowl
2006 Alamo Bowl
The 2006 Alamo Bowl Game was a college football bowl game, part of the 2006–2007 bowl season of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The 2006 Alamo Bowl was played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on December 30....
against Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
he ran for 26 yards on 12 rushes.
Following spring practice in 2007, Sims' senior season he was listed as the second running back on the depth chart. His third career 100 rushing yards in a game came against Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois Huskies football
The Northern Illinois Huskies football team represents Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Conference of the NCAA's Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision.-History:...
when he ran for 110 yards on 16 carries. He led the rushing attack against Syracuse with 12 rushes for 62 yards and a touchdown. In the Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
game, Sims ran for a season best 30 yard run and totaled 35 yards on three carries for the game.
Professional career
After his career at Iowa, Sims entered the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. At the NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, Sims ran a 4.47 forty yard dash. However he went undrafted and returned to Iowa to finish his degree and care for his daughter. In 2009, Sims' uncle BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
Korey Banks
Korey Banks
Korey Banks is a defensive back for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.-NFL:...
told Lions player personnel director Roy Shivers
Roy Shivers
Roy Shivers was the General Manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League from December 24, 1999 until August 21, 2006; the first Black general manager in professional football. He was also a former running back in the National Football League with the St. Louis...
about his nephew and gave him a tape of Sims. Impressed, Shivers invited Sims to tryout and Sims ran a 4.4 forty yard dash, which was seven-tenths of a second faster than he ran nearly two years earlier. Sims was officially signed by the Lions in late April 2009. Sims was reporetedly one of the leading contenders to replace Stefan Logan
Stefan Logan
Stefan Logan is a wide receiver, running back and return specialist for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
at running back with his main competition being Martell Mallett
Martell Mallett
Martell Mallett is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the BC Lions as a street free agent in 2009...
. He was released at the end of training camp on June 24, 2009.