Alabama football’s troubling weekend ended Sunday with defensive back Geno Smith in jail, defensive tackle Jonathan Taylor dismissed from the team and receiver Cam Sims sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (knee) injury during Alabama’s fifth practice Saturday.
Sims, a sophomore, stands at 6-foot-5, 209 pounds. He’s coming off a solid freshman campaign, in which he caught seven passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. Sims’s score came in Alabama’s homecoming matchup with Western Carolina, a 4-yard reception from quarterback Blake Sims.
He possesses exceptional hands, speed and body control with his size. Sims was poised to be Alabama’s deep ball, vertical target in 2015. He worked with quarterbacks Jake Coker and Alec Morris in practice this week, prior to the injury. Sims showed in 2014 that he’s an underrated blocker. He excelled at springing running backs and receivers down the sidelines.
Robert Foster, ArDarius Stewart, Raheem Falkins and Derek Kief all must step up. Foster, a sophomore, has size and balance, but needs to improve his hands more. He was solid in practice, catching passes from David Cornwell, Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett. Stewart, a sophomore, has the tools but needs more game experience.
Falkins, a junior, has to emerge. He entered Alabama with much hype in 2013, yet hasn’t produced. Kief, a redshirt freshman, has the capabilities to be a game changing receiver. He needs to continue processing Kiffin’s system.
Sims’s injury occurred in the spring, so it gives him a chance to rehab and recover quickly. He has a positive mindset, and decided to use social media to voice it.
“Watch how I handle this obstacle in my life…Minor setback for a major comeback.”-Cam Sims (CameronSilkySims7, @Lucky7Sims-Twitter)
Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban will reveal more information on Sims’s injury in Monday’s press conference. For now, it’s the next man up mentality. Who will step up in Sims’s absence?
