NEW ORLEANS — Before Blake Sims was the starting quarterback at Alabama, he was an afterthought, a misfit player shuffled from one position to another, a backup seemingly destined to stay as such. Actually, even before that, Sims was almost a Volunteer.
“I met Blake when he was in high school, he was committed to Alabama,” said Lane Kiffin, the Crimson Tide’s first-year offensive coordinator and formerly Tennessee’s head coach.
“(We) went to his high school, went to his home with his family, spent an entire day with him. He can tell you the story, I don’t know if he’s ever told it — he’s de-committing to Alabama to come to Tennessee. And I don’t know the exact timing, but it might be one or two days later when we go to USC.”
Of course, Sims, now a senior, and Kiffin have been reunited for this one final season in Tuscaloosa.
“It’s really just a crazy story, here was a kid that we were gonna be together at Tennessee, leave, who would’ve ever thought we’d circle all around after everything that’s happened and now you’re together for one year here,” Kiffin said.
“I just wish we had longer with him. To see what he’s done in such a short time and to see how we’ve adjusted to him and to think, what if we had another year with him?”
After spending years in the shadows of former Alabama quarterbacks Greg McElroy and A.J. McCarron, Sims has blossomed into the fulcrum of the Tide’s new look and high-powered offense.
It’s a long way from where he was at during spring ball, in which Sims’ struggles prompted a 10-year-old boy to ask head coach Nick Saban, “Do we have another quarterback besides Blake Sims?” after the team’s annual Spring Game.
Coupled with a buzz over Jake Coker, a talented transfer from Florida State, who was expected to saunter into Alabama’s starting job this season without a hitch, Sims' journey from then to now is one marked by less-than-ideal circumstances. Sims was a highly-regarded high school prospect, but it appears you'd be hard-pressed to find folks desperately clamoring for him to lead the Tide, a program that's claimed three of the last five national titles.
Sims ultimately beat out Coker, but it’s taken him longer to quiet critics.
In the Alabama's regular-season finale against Auburn, Sims threw three critical interceptions that put his squad in a deep hole against the arch-rival Tigers with so much on the line.
Sims said his right tackle, senior Austin Shepherd, walked over to him and said, “Hey look, you’re a playmaker. And I’m gonna tell you, it’s gonna take one play."
Sims finished the night 20-of-27 for 312 yards and four touchdowns and the Tide ran past Auburn, 55-44, before winning the SEC Championship and securing the top spot in the College Football Playoff.
“A lot of things happen, a lot of people switch their mindsets about things and like the Auburn game," Sims said, "I earned some things."
Because Sims has spent most of his career earning every and anything that comes his way, including a chance to guide the Crimson Tide in his final season.
“That’s one thing with Coach Saban: He never promises you anything,” Sims said. “Anything that you get here at Alabama, you have to work for.”
