Kenneth Sims, the No. 1 overall pick of the New England Patriots in the 1982 NFL Draft and star at the University of Texas, died at the age of 65, the Patriots announced. Sims had been battling an illness and passed away in his sleep at his home on Friday.
“Very sad day with the passing of our Longhorn Legend and College Football Hall of Famer Kenneth Sims,” the official Texas Football account wrote on X. “Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates.”
Sims, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021, was a dominant force for the Longhorns. After backing up future Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve McMichael and Bill Acker, the defensive tackle rose to prominence during his junior season where he notched 131 tackles and was named an All-American. He followed that breakout campaign with another All-American season as a senior and became the first Longhorn to win the Lombardi Award. He was also the top defensive vote-getter for the Heisman Trophy during that 1981 season.
Texas went 10-1-1 during Sims’ final collegiate season which culminated with a win in the 1982 Cotton Bowl.
That all led to Sims becoming the No. 1 overall pick of the Patriots in 1982 and would go on to play eight seasons with the organization. In all, Sims played 74 career games for New England including 64 starts. He tallied 17 sacks over his tenure, which included a 5.5-sack season in his 13 games played in 1985. Unfortunately, Sims broke his leg that season, which prevented him from playing in Super Bowl XX, in which the Chicago Bears defeated the Patriots.
In a post on social media, the Patriots wrote they are “deeply saddened by the passing” of Sims.
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