Thursday March 28th, 2024 4:33PM

Sims set to etch his name amongst Alabama legends, as fairytale continues

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- For nearly four years, Blake Sims stood on the Alabama sidelines, clipboard or helmet in hand, watching, hoping, wondering -- praying even -- about whether his time would ever come.

Local fans of Sims could see him standing there on TV on game days, many thinking the same thing: “what could have been.”

The former Gainesville High standout, who led the Red Elephants to within a fingernails reach of the 2009 Class AAA state title, was as good as any northeast Georgia prep fans had ever seen. He deserved to see what he could do. But many also wondered whether big-time SEC football was the place to showcase those talents.

Sims was not amongst the doubters, however.

“Maybe once or twice I thought about that, but I just kept praying that things would work out my way,” Sims said. “But this was where I wanted, and needed, to be.”

He heard all the counter-arguments: 

“He, and Alabama, made a mistake.”

“He’s not good enough.”

“He’ll never play quarterback for them.”

“He should have gone to a smaller school.”

To make all the doubters seem even more right, he arrived on campus at nearly the same time as another quarterback prospect, A.J. McCarron, who won the starting job and went on to become one of the school’s all-time greats, leading the Crimson Tide to two national titles in three seasons. 

Even Sims’s father, Sonny, admits he was worried.

“I think he knew it would be a long shot but he was all in for Alabama,” Sonny Sims said. “He just felt that was where he needed to be. I admit I had a few doubts because I wanted to see him get a chance to play somewhere. But that was his decision and we supported him.”

Gainesville coach Bruce Miller quietly wondered if Sims had missed an opportunity.

“I thought early on in his career that maybe he should have gone somewhere else where he would get a chance to play. I just didn’t see it working out for him with the players they had,” Miller said. “You have a small window in sports. Of course, the one thing I should have known is to never, ever doubt Blake. He is perhaps the most persistent person I have ever met.”

Persistence isn’t a virtue, but patience surely is. And Sims, if nothing else, was patient. 

“I wanted to go to Alabama because I wanted to become a man and I felt that was where I needed to be. The first step in being a man is to be patient,” Sims said. “I learned a lot in those first four years, which is what I needed to do. I knew I would get a chance and that’s all I wanted.”

We all know the story now.

A fifth-year senior going into 2014 spring practice, Sims was the Tide’s only truly experienced quarterback, having backed up McCarron for two seasons -- and that term was being used loosely considering coach Nick Saban had brought in a new offensive coordinator in Lane Kiffin. Changes were coming, including the Tide bringing in Florida State transfer quarterback Jake Coker. Word on the street was that Coker was expected to win the job.

Suddenly, it looked like Sims’s fairytale ending to his Alabama career was over before it started.

But, as with all good fairytales, it’s always darkest before the hero arrives. Transitioning to fall, Sims beat out Coker on virtually the final play of the final practice before the 2014 campaign, going on to lead Alabama to a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoff.

And this fairytale has more capters yet to write.

On Saturday, Sims will join fellow 2014 Alabama captains Landon Collins, Amari Cooper, and Jalston Fowler as members of the prestigious Alabama Walk of Fame.

A tradition since 1948, the Alabama Walk of Fame at Denny Chimes includes 176 names etched in cement to honor the collegiate accomplishments of such legends as Joe Namath, Kenny “Snake” Stabler, Tony Nathan, and Derrick Thomas. Sims now leaves his own name -- as well as handprints and cleats -- amongst those former Crimson Tide greats.

For Alabama, it is the ultimate tribute. 

Sims admitted he never thought he would have a chance to put his name in that legendary concrete.

“There are a lot of great players (at Denny Chimes). I don’t know if I’m at that level really,” he said. “I was very surprised when I was told I would get a spot. But I feel very blessed. And to go in with these guys, they are my brothers. It’s special and means a lot to me.”

Going into the 2014 season, Sims had attempted just 39 passes in two seasons as a backup to McCarron. In his first game as the announced starter against West Virginia, Sims -- who was expected to share time with Coker -- went the distance, finishing 24-of-33 for 250 yards. Three weeks later, in a 42-21 win over Florida, Sims threw for 445 yards, the second-best performance ever by an Alabama quarterback. He would also engineer a wild 55-44 comeback win over arch-rival Auburn in the regular season finale.

Sims finished the season 252-of-391 (64.5 percent) for 3,487 yards with 28 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He said he has few regrets despite playing just one full season.

“I always wanted to play quarterback at Alabama and even though it was only one season, I was able to live out my dream,” Sims said. “I feel with just the one year I had I took advantage of everything I could. I feel like I left here with a bang.

“If I have a regret it’s that we didn’t beat Ohio State (in the semifinals of the CFP). I think about that every now and then. We probably should have run the ball a little more but (the game) went the way it was probably supposed to. We’ve moved on.”

Sims said now there’s yet another fairytale left. And that may happen sometime between May 8-10 when the NFL conducts its annual draft.

“Really, this is just the beginning for me,” he said. “I think I have a lot more to show people so I’m hoping I can get a shot at the NFL. I don’t care what position they want me to play. All I’m asking for is a chance.”

At this point, who would bet against it. He's already made believers throughout northeast Georgia and the state of Alabama.

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