Sims played college football for the University of Oklahoma, where he was a two-time consensus All-American, won the Heisman Trophy in 1978, was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1979, and achieved a career average 4.515 rushing yards-per-carry, among many other accolades. He was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft and played professionally for the Detroit Lions from 1980 until 1984. During the NFL, Sims became the first player to score three touchdowns in his first official NFL game.
In 2004, during his retirement, Sims and his business partner, Jeff Jackson, opened “Billy Sims Barbeque” – a fast-casual barbeque restaurant – in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since the brand’s inception, Sims and Jackson have expanded to 54 operating locations across seven states.
This is an official NFL Wilson football hand-signed in silver paint pen by Billy Sims. Additional inscriptions of "#20" and "'78 Heisman" commemorating both his professional jersey number and his winning of the Heisman Trophy in 1978 as college football's most outstanding player that year.