Six Days Away from Bama Kickoff: Blake Sims

Each day counting down to Alabama's Week 1 matchup with Utah State, I will highlight a former player whose jersey number coincides with the amount of days until the game. The Crimson Tide kicks off in just six days, so let's back look at former Bama quarterback Blake Sims.

Blake Sims suited up for the Crimson Tide from 2010-2014 as both a running back and quarterback, but is most remembered by Tide fans for his incredible season as the team's signal caller in 2014. He was a four-star recruit from Gainesville, GA who helped define what Alabama's offense looks like today.

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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Sims spent the first four seasons with the team as a reserve player, hardly seeing time on the field except for in mop-up duty against the already vanquished foes of the Tide. In his one year as a starter, his final with the program, Sims set the single season passing yards record, guided the Tide to an appearance in the first ever College Football Playoff and helped reshape the offensive philosophy of Nick Saban.

He threw for nearly 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns as well as adding 350 yards on the ground. Though the Tide came up short in the playoff, losing to Ezekiel Elliott and Ohio State, Sims put together a year that will never be forgotten by Alabama fans.

After his time with the Tide, Sims went undrafted in 2015, and despite receiving interest from some NFL teams as a running back, the Gainesville native opted to join the Canadian Football League (CFL) where he was unable to find a steady role with a team. After his time in the CFL, Sims joined the Wollongong Devils on the National Gridiron League in Australia, but again was unable to find a consistent role there as well.

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He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad in 2016 and was waived less than a year later. Sims suited up for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) the following season, but appeared in just a single game. Finally, he joined the Frisco Fighters of the Indoor Football League where he ultimately retired from this year.

Stay locked in to Tide1009.com for the countdown to Alabama football. Check out the rest of the list here.

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