Kenneth Sims, a defensive lineman who played all eight NFL seasons of his career with the New England Patriots, passed away Friday at 65 years old. According to Chip Brown of 247Sports, which was shared by Patriots' official site. Sims died in his sleep while battling an illness.
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Sims was taken with the first overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, accumulating 17 sacks during his full career. Sims's best season in the NFL came in 1985 when he put up 5.5 sacks and helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl.
He attended the University of Texas, where in 1981, he finished eighth in Heisman voting, top among defenders, and won the Lombardi Award for top offensive or defensive lineman, the first winner in Texas Longhorn history.
His time with Texas earned him a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame, where he was inducted back in 2021.
Sims grew up in Texas and was an impactful player for four seasons with his home-state college. At 6 feet six inches and 265 pounds, he was a force to be reckoned with, accumulating 322 tackles, 29 sacks, 50 tackles for loss, 15 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and three blocked kicks.
He became a full-time starter during his upperclassmen seasons, earning consensus All-America and first-team All-Southwest Conference each of those two seasons.
He also was recognized for his all-around impact, earning the NCAA Today's Top V Award, now known as the NCAA Today's Top 10 Award, for his efforts on the field, in the community, and in the classroom.
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All of his success in college, both on and off the field, led him to being taken first overall in the 1982 draft by the Patriots.
In his first season with the Patriots, he finished fourth in AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and helped the team reach the playoffs.
Unfortunately, while the talent was clearly there, injuries limited Sims throughout his career, holding him to just one season of all 16 games played, which came in his third season. His best statistical season came in 1985, despite only playing in 13 games.
A back injury and a ruptured Achilles tendon plagued him late in his career, but Sims still managed to return to play in 1989, despite the major setbacks.
He finished his career after the 1989 season, where he played in 15 games but suffered a knee injury that held him out of the final game of the season.
In a sad day for Patriots fans and Texas Longhorn fans, Kenneth Sims had a major impact on the sports world throughout his football career, both as a player and a person.
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 3:06 PM.