Kenneth Sims
It takes a team to build a player from scratch
Kenneth Sims would be the first to admit that it takes a team to build a great player. So much so that he said, “I’m so proud of my teammates because you can’t have a Hall of Fame career without a bunch of Hall of Fame teammates.” Guys such as Jeff Leiding, Lawrence Sampleton, Steve McMichael, Eric Holle, William Graham, and Dana LeDuc (yes, Dana LeDuc).
Steve Mcmichael coined the term “pup” for freshman Kenneth Sims. His first year, Kenneth was skinny with little muscle mass. He barely knew how to get in a stance, and a weight room was not in his dictionary. His first bench press of 170 pounds was a shocker to the Longhorn running backs who were bench pressing 250 to 300 pounds.
Enter Dana LeDuc
No one envisioned that this young man Kenneth Sims could be a great football player except maybe Dana LeDuc.
Danas was the 1976- NCAA Shot Put Champion, and he is a 1997 Longhorn HOH inductee.
Leduc was initially hired as an assistant to Charle Craven. However, Craven convinces DKR that UT needs a full-time strength coach, and he recommended LeDuc for the job.
Dana LeDuc is the first at UT to hold the official title of “Head Strength Coach.”
Sims would have been just another pretty good player until Texas strength coach Dana LeDuc put some meat — and muscle — on those bones and helped shape him into a 6-foot-5, 270-pound force who was a consensus, two-time All-American and Texas’ first Lombardi Award winner.
The 1982 Longhorn team captain and nine-year player for the Seattle Seahawks Bryan Millard, said, “I cannot tell you how valuable Dana LeDuc was because of his strength training. I played with some outstanding offensive linemen who played not only at Texas but went on to have extended careers in the NFL, and a lot of that had to do with Dana LeDuc.
From 1978 to 1981, Dana LeDuc turned a “Pup” into Superman. “This is an honor that’s long overdue,” LeDuc said. “Kenneth could totally disrupt a game, whether we were playing North Texas or Oklahoma.” Kenneth followed Dana’s instruction and became Hall of Fame good.
back to Kenneth Sims
After playing behind now-fellow College Football Hall of Famer Steve McMichael during his first two seasons, Sims shined as a starter in the 1980 and 1981 campaigns, posting 241 tackles, 21 sacks, 40 tackles for loss, 11 forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries in that time. Sims’ 15 careers forced fumbles still stands as the most by a player in school history, while his 29 sacks rank (fourth) and seven fumble recoveries rank (fifth) for the Longhorns.
Kenneth earned consensus All-America and first-team All-Southwest Conference honors in each of his final two seasons at Texas, including unanimous first-team recognition among the five recognized All-America teams as a senior. Defensive players seldom have a chance to place for the Heisman Trophy but in 1981 Sims finished 8th in the ballot.
Sims was also named the Team MVP in his final two collegiate seasons, making him the first Longhorn since Chris Gilbert (1966-68) to earn that honor in consecutive seasons. Today, he is still one of only six Longhorns to earn Team MVP honors in two consecutive years.
Ken was the top defensive vote-getter in the Heisman Trophy race in 1981, getting three first-place votes and finishing eighth overall. Akers used to say Sims didn’t need a highlight film, “Just turn on a game film.” He received a draft grade equal to O.J. Simpson’s, and New England made him the first pick.
