University of North Carolina Athletics
One-on-One With Ryan Sims
September 1, 2000 | Football
Sept. 1, 2000
Earlier this week, TarHeelBlue asked all interested Carolina fans to submit questions for Tar Heel defensive tackle Ryan Sims. You've emailed in your questions, and now here is what he had to say. See what Ryan has to say about this year's defensive line, why Math 18 was his favorite course thus far at UNC and where he wants to live when he gets older.
Question from Kevin Jenkins in Portland, Maine: Have you noticed a big difference this year with Coach Torbush just serviing as the head coach instead of also the defensive
coordinator?
Ryan Sims: I think I have. I think we're in a great situation with Coach Browning as the defensive coordinator now. He can devote all his time to the defense, instead of like last year
when Coach Torbush was having to devote a lot of time to both us and the offense. It works out well though now, because Coach Torbush can be involved a lot with what we're doing
defensively, but he can also do the things he needs to do as the head coach.
Question from Donald Cook in Atlanta: Which members of the defensive line have made the most progress since last season? In other words, which players on the DL will make
some noise this year that we haven't noticed in the past?
RS: Probably me and Anthony Perkins. We have worked so hard with Bulldog (George Smith). He's done so much to get us stronger and faster. And I've been working with Coach
rowning to do everything I can to become a dominant player.
Question from Angel Stoots in Madison, N.C.: Just wanted to know being a junior, what are some of the things you want to accomplish this year on the football field?
RS: I want to be the best. I want to be No. 1 in the polls and I want to win as a team. I want to be champions -- ACC and national -- but everything starts with the Tulsa game. We
know we have to take one game at a time, and it all starts Saturday night.
Question from Meggan Evers in Mebane, N.C.: Are you willing to make any predictions on how the Tar Heels will do this season? I know you guys must be real excited about
starting the season on Saturday. What kind of things will you be doing on Friday and Saturday morning to prepare for the big game?
RS: I don't want to make any predictions, because if I do no one will believe me. So I just want to see how things play out. But on Friday I will probably relax and try not to think
much about football, but when I wake up on Saturday I know it's time to play. It's very exciting.
Question from L.A. Ward Jr. in Jamestown, N.C.: Attitude and enthusiam seem so critical in getting off to a good start this season. Compare what you've observed so far in
practice this year with what you recall from last year's squad.
RS: As a team, we're bent on winning. We've been pushing ourselves all summer with Bulldog, and he has just pushed us to the limit. So we're thinking now that we've done all this
and put in all of this hard work, why not go out there and play our best and get a win.
Question from Joel Powers in Jacksonville, N.C.: What's your favorite class and why?
RS: I guess it was Math 18 last semester. We got to study the origins of numbers. So we learned a lot of the abstract meaning behind addition and multiplication. I really enjoyed it. It was interesting.
Question from Bob Wyatt Reidsville, N.C.: Hey Ryan , just wanted to know what is your routine on gameday from waking up to kick-off?
RS: It depends on what time the game is, but on Saturday we'll probably wake up around 9. We'll eat breakfast maybe at 10. Then we'll go through a walk-through and watch film.
Then we have a couple of hours just to ourselves to relax and watch some of the other games on TV and get ready to play. Then we'll have our pre-game meal, we'll watch more film
as a team and basically get psyched up. Then it's time for that journey down the Bell Tower lot and into the stadium.
Question from Michelle in Attleboro, Mass.: It seems like you guys must never have any time to do anything but go to class and play football. What kind of hobbies do you have
other than football?
RS: I like to watch TV. I watch Seinfeld reruns a lot. And I watched Survivor this summer. I was surprised how that all ended, but I liked watching it. And I like to shop. It's
always fun to by myself something.
Question from Mary Henson: When did you know you wanted to be a football player? Did you play any other sports growing up?
RS: I played all kinds of sports actually. I played football, baseball and basketball. I quit baseball in the ninth grade and I played basketball up to the 10th grade. My Dad played pro
baseball (Triple A in the Boston Red Sox organization), so naturally that's what he wanted me to play. But I knew I wanted to play football when I got to high school. My high school
was really big on football and I knew I just wanted to be a part of it.
Question from Natalie in Southern Pines: What is your favorite part of game week? Are you a good practice player?
RS: Well, my favorite part of game week obviously has to be Saturday. But I do think I'm a good practice player. That's where it all starts, working on all the small things that come
up in the games.
Question from Heath Stewart in Atlanta: What made you decide to go to Chapel Hill after going to high school in South Carolina? Do you think you want to live in the south when
you get older or is there another part of the country you had always hoped to live?
RS: I always wanted to come to Chapel Hill. My uncle was the biggest Lawrence Taylor fan, so I fell in love with him and Carolina. I wanted to wear the Carolina Blue and those were
also my high school colors. But when I get older I think I want to live in Florida. It's just beautiful down there.
Question from Steve Bunn in Lancaster, Pa.:Do you dream of one day playing in the NFL? Do you watch the NFL on Sundays? Who's your favorite team?
RS: Sure, that's why I'm here, to get ready to play in the NFL and to get an education. I used to not really like NFL football because I just thought it was guys out there just playing for
the money ? not for the love of the game. But I watch it now and I think the best team of all time was the Chicago Bears in 1985. My favorite team though is the San Francisco 49ers.
One-on-One Archives
One-on-One with A. Crumpler (August 25, 2000)
One-on-One with E. Hood (August 18, 2000)
One-on-One with B. Spoon (August 11, 2000)
