It’s been a long time since Blake Sims was in the win column.
Seven years to be exact.
But the former Alabama quarterback reverted back to his glory days but this time he traded in the Crimson and White for the orange and blue of the Spokane Shock.
In his first game in the Indoor Football League, Sims put on a show for the local crowd amassing a total of 163 yards and four touchdowns in the 46-35 win over the Sioux Falls Storm.
“I haven’t played in so long, but I have a great family, and they’ve been behind me for so long,” Sims said. “I gotta thank God. God is great ain’t he? God is good, he put me a great o-line like this and a great, great coach like coach Beck.”
Since leaving Tuscaloosa following the 2014 season, Sims’ professional road has been filled with injury, uncertainty and turbulence. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent where he had tryouts with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Football Team but a contract was never signed.
He’d later pack his bags and move across the border to the Canadian Football League where he suited up for the Toronto Arognauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders before traveling to Australia for a brief stop with the Wollongong Devils. This was followed by two other short lived team ups in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers which later led to a his signing with the Birmingham Iron in the soon to be cancelled Alliance of American Football.
But an injury to Shock quarterback Charles McCullum created one more opportunity for Sims which he clearly took advantage of. It’s been a long emotional journey for the Gainesville, GA native which was capped off with an interview fans won’t forget.
The last time Blake Sims started a game was for Alabama in 2014.
Tonight he accounted for four touchdowns for the @SpokaneShock, including the game icing score.
This was a really fun interview after the game. Think Bama fans will like this one. pic.twitter.com/uPpdrW9ivu
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) July 11, 2021
“I got tears in my eyes that I’d holding back right now, I’m just happy,” Sims said.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
