Ernie Sims, FSU's emerging linebacker, is as fierce on the field as his pets can be in the wild.
By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published November 19, 2004
TALLAHASSEE - Florida State linebacker Ernie Sims poured some water in the tank and meticulously sprinkled in twigs, grass and leaves to simulate a swampy environment.
He hoped his new pet would enjoy it and, apparently, it has.
His 2-foot long anaconda is doing just fine, thank you.
"I love it," he said.
As a youngster, Sims would pick up turtles and frogs in his yard and bring them inside. These days, he has three Jack Russell terriers and a short-haired German pointer that live at his parents' Tallahassee home, while he keeps the anaconda, a 4-foot red-tailed boa constrictor and several tarantulas in his apartment.
"I'm always willing to accept some animal," he said.
Yeah, but spiders and snakes?
"At first, I thought it was kind of crazy," said safety Roger Williams, one of Sims' roommates. "The anaconda, that was a real shock when I saw it. Some people come over and like to play with it. I don't deal with that. As long as it's not crawling in my room at night, I'm straight.
"But it is kind of interesting. I've never seen a football player into animals like that. He takes real good care of them and I think his (exotic) animals kind of portray the way he plays on the field. Spiders and snakes are wild. He's wild and crazy."
Unlike the boa and anaconda or the tarantulas, only one of which he has named (the eldest is "Killer T"), the 6-foot, 220-pound Sims doesn't need to be poked to strike with ferocity.
He does that on his own just fine.
"He's fast, he's strong, he's intense and when he gets to the ball, he has a bad disposition. Other than that, he doesn't have much," deadpanned North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato, a longtime FSU linebackers coach and former standout linebacker himself. "He's got it all and he is just a youngster."
Sims, a sophomore in his first-year as a starter, is a punishing tackler with dizzying speed and uncanny instincts. Entering the regular-season finale against Florida Saturday night, he's second on the team in tackles (66) and sacks (4.5), and fourth in tackles for a loss (7.5), quarterback hurries (7) and passes broken up (5).
"I don't see how a guy could be playing linebacker any better than Ernie Sims," FSU linebackers coach Kevin Steele said. "I know I'm biased, but I've watched a lot of linebackers. If he's not the best, he's one of the top two or three."
Sims, 19, came to FSU from North Florida Christian High with a satchel full of accolades. Not that you would know it. He's unassuming and uncomfortable with media attention. He plays like he has something to prove on every snap.
Last year, he played predominantely on special teams, where he could use his speed to get downfield and get a shot at the returnman. Schemes and assignments and pass coverages didn't matter. He could simply do what he did all his life.
Be determined, unrelenting and wild.
"Ernie has always given 100 percent," his father, Ernie Jr. said.
"He only knows one speed and that's wiiiide open," Steele added.
Tight end Matt Henshaw can attest to Sims' ability to get to the ball fast and then deliver a furious hit.
"I remember in the spring, I ran a little underneath route right over the center," Henshaw said with a grimace. "I caught the ball and I turned to his side because I saw him bail out. The next thing I know is my helmet is getting flown back because he hit me so hard. I thought my jaw was broken."
"I try to be the cleanest player, but the dirtiest," Sims said. "I try to knock you down."
And help you up after?
Yeah, right.
"He does bring it," said former star FSU linebacker Michael Boulware, a second-round pick of Seattle. "He plays hard and that's what you have to do to be good."
Sims actually had a habit of leading with his helmet and, in the August preseason, he gave himself a couple mild concussions. Trainers outfitted him with a more padded helmet and coaches have preached for him to lead with his shoulder.
He's doing that and has learned through repetition a safer, but no less volatile, tackling technique, which underscores the headway that Sims has made in such a short time. He recognized last year that sheer speed, effort and instincts weren't enough to excel at this level.
"In high school, I just went out and played football," he said. "I had no assignment. ... Guys weren't as talented as they are (here). Guys are faster than me, bigger than me, stronger than me. I have to use technique to get where I need to go."
Sims credits Steele for that. Although his parents, Ernie Jr. and Alice, were both former FSU student-athletes (his father played football for Bowden in the late 1970s), the younger Sims seemed headed elsewhere. Until Steele was hired to take over for Joe Kines. Steele and the Sims family hit it off immediately and convinced Sims to remain at home.
"Coach Steele has been a tremendous encouragement and asset to Ernie's life," the elder Sims said. "I can relax because coach Steele is here."
Like many fathers, especially those who also played the game, Sims Jr. has been his son's toughest critic. After prep games, he would point out things his son could be doing better. He's not doing that as often these days.
"My dad has a big job critiquing my little brother," Sims said referring to Marcus, 17, a junior linebacker at North Florida Christian. "He pretty much understands I get yelled at enough (here)."
Not that Steele, defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews or coach Bobby Bowden can find much to yell at him about. Sims has twice earned ACC player of the week honors and, after the Virginia game, had so many big plays that he earned more than 70 tomahawk points. (The points translate into the tomahawk stickers that are then affixed to a player's helmet.)
"Nobody does that and we've had some good ones," Andrews said.
Even former All-American and current Bucs star Derrick Brooks, a speedy, similarly-sized linebacker. If he can follow Brooks' lead and go to the NFL, Sims still has a somewhat different plan.
"I'd like to be a veterinarian," he said. "If that doesn't work out, I'd like to take care of snakes like Crocodile Dundee does, just run around and catch stuff. I would love to do that."
