LeShaun Sims

LeShaun V. Sims (born September 18, 1993) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Southern Utah and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Sims has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Early years

Sims was born in Las Vegas on September 18, 1993, to Levell and Vonda Sims. Sims attended Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, where he earned second-team all-state honors as a wide receiver and defensive back. As a senior, Sims tallied 52 tackles and a team-leading six interceptions on defense. On offense, he produced more than 400 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns while rushing for 170 yards and another score.

Prior to Sims, no prior student-athlete from Andre Agassi Prep had ever earned an athletic scholarship. When he was a high school freshman, the Stars played eight-man football in the public charter school’s first year with a football team. They moved to 11-man football during his sophomore year, and by his senior season, the team won a league title.

College career

Sims played college football at Southern Utah University. In four seasons at Southern Utah, he appeared in 47 total games with 46 starts, including starts in every game during his final three seasons. Sims's career totals included 220 tackles, eight interceptions, 27 passes defensed, a forced fumble, five fumble recoveries, and four tackles for loss. Sims graduated in April 2016 with a degree in exercise science.

Professional career

Pre-draft

At the 2016 Southern Utah University Pro Day, Sims jumped 10 feet, 7 inches in the broad jump and ran 6.84 seconds in the three-cone drill.

Tennessee Titans

2016 season

Sims was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round (157th overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. On May 9, 2016, he signed a four-year contract with the Titans.

Sims made his NFL debut during a Week 4 27–20 road loss to the Houston Texans and finished the game with one tackle. During a Week 8 36–22 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sims recorded a tackle and a fumble recovery. Two weeks later against the Green Bay Packers, he had two tackles and a fumble recovery as the Titans won by a score of 47–25.

During a Week 12 27–21 victory over the Chicago Bears, Sims recorded a season-high five tackles. Following a Week 14 bye, the Titans returned home to face the Denver Broncos. In that game, Sims tied his season-high of five tackles and also recorded two pass deflections in the 13–10 victory. The following week against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sims recorded a pass deflection and his first NFL interception as the Titans narrowly won on the road by a score of 19–17. Pro Football Focus rated Sims the highest game grade of that game.

Sims finished his rookie year with 22 tackles, three pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and an interception in 13 games and two starts.

2017 season

Sims entered the 2017 season as one of the starting cornerbacks for the Titans as the team's third cornerback behind rookie Adoree' Jackson and offseason acquisition Logan Ryan.

During a Week 2 37–16 road victory over the Jaguars, Sims recorded three tackles, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble. In the next game against the Seattle Seahawks, he had a tackle and a pass deflection as the Titans won by a score of 33–27. The following week against the Texans, Sims recorded a season-high five tackles during the 57–14 road loss.

During a Week 13 24–13 victory over the Texans, Sims recorded two tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception. His interception came late in the fourth quarter, sealing the win for the Titans. Two weeks later against the San Francisco 49ers, Sims tied his season-high of five tackles as the Titans narrowly lost on the road by a score of 25–23. On December 22, 2017, Sims was placed on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in practice.

Sims finished his second professional season with a career-high 36 tackles, three pass deflections, a forced fumble, and an interception in 13 games and five starts.

2018 season

Sims was demoted to a backup role after the Titans signed Malcolm Butler. Despite this, Sims recorded 22 tackles and played in all 16 games for the first time in his career and started in two of them after starting cornerback Logan Ryan suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 15 as the Titans shut out the New York Giants on the road by a score of 17–0.

2019 season

For the first half of the season, Sims's role was similar to that of the previous season, yet he recorded a fumble recovery during a Week 5 14–7 loss to the Buffalo Bills and four tackles and a pass deflection during a Week 8 27–23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During a Week 9 30–20 road loss to the Carolina Panthers, starting cornerback Malcolm Butler suffered a season-ending wrist injury, putting Sims in line to be a starter. During a narrow Week 10 35–32 victory over the Chiefs, he recorded a career-high 12 tackles. Following a Week 11 bye, the Titans faced the Jaguars. In that game, Sims recorded six tackles before leaving the eventual 42–20 victory with an ankle injury that caused him to miss the next two games. The Titans signed Tramaine Brock to fill in for Sims prior to the Week 14 matchup against the Oakland Raiders, and Sims returned to a backup role after he recovered.

Sims returned from his injury in time for the Week 15 matchup against the Texans. He finished the 24–21 loss with a tackle and also returned a punt for 11 yards. In the next game against the New Orleans Saints, Sims had six tackles and a pass deflection as the Titans lost by a score of 38–28.

Sims finished the 2019 season with 35 tackles, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in 14 games and two starts.

Cincinnati Bengals

On March 31, 2020, Sims signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.

During a Week 3 23–23 tie against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sims made his Bengals debut and recorded two tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception. In the next game against the Jaguars, he had a season-high eight tackles and a pass deflection during the 33–25 victory. The following week against the Baltimore Ravens, Sims recorded two tackles and a pass deflection as the Bengals lost on the road by a score of 27–3.

During a Week 8 31–20 victory over his former team, the Titans, Sims recorded six tackles. During a Week 13 19–7 road loss to the Miami Dolphins, he tied his season-high of season-high eight tackles. In the regular-season finale against the Ravens, Sims recorded four tackles and a pass deflection as the Bengals lost by a score of 38–3.

Sims finished the 2020 season with a career-high 52 tackles, four pass deflections, and an interception in 13 games and 10 starts.

NFL statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Personal life

Sims is a movie buff who lists ''Training Day'' among his all-time favorites. Sims was commonly referred to as "Swis" in college because for his first college game, the name on the back of his jersey was upside down. The nickname stuck.

References

External links

Southern Utah Thunderbirds bio
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sims, LeShaun
1993 births
Living people
Players of American football from Las Vegas
American football cornerbacks
Southern Utah Thunderbirds football players
Tennessee Titans players
Cincinnati Bengals players