Billy Sims has always been looking ahead.
As a star football player, first with the University of Oklahoma and then with the Detroit Lions, he was looking for the hole or the angle to the end zone. These days, Sims is looking for ways to expand his barbecue restaurant chain and to help others in need.
Sims met with fans of football and barbecue at the restaurant bearing his name at 737 West Sixth on Friday. He tells KVOE News there has been one big reason for his success, both on the gridiron and –now — behind the restaurant grill.
The restaurant chain developed 14 years ago and now has restaurants in six states. Sims says he was involved in a wide range of projects before landing on the barbecue business.
Sims was a Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma and then spent four-plus years in the NFL before injuries ended his career. While he says he enjoyed playing football, it didn’t “consume” him. As he put it, “I knew playing the game wasn’t going to last forever.”
Besides the restaurant operations, Sims is also working with state officials in Michigan to create a diabetes wellness center in Detroit.
Photos by Chuck Samples/KVOE News
{gallery}Billy Sims at Billy Sims BBQ June 22 2018{/gallery}
