University of North Carolina Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Defensive Graduate Assistant
- Phone:
- 919-966-2575
Nine-year NFL veteran and former first-round draft pick Ryan Sims is a defensive graduate assistant coach at his alma mater. It is his second year with the UNC program after spending last season as an undergraduate assistant coach.
Sims was a four-year letterwinner for the Tar Heels from 1998-2001. He was a three-year starter at defensive tackle and was the defensive MVP of Carolina’s 16-10 win over Auburn in the 2001 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Sims and teammate Julius Peppers headlined a defense that led the ACC and was 15th in the nation in yards allowed.
Sims was the No. 6 overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons in the league – four for Kansas City and five for Tampa Bay before retiring in 2011. He played in 105 games, starting 55, and made 143 tackles.
Following his NFL career, Sims returned to complete his degree in communications and start a second career as an assistant coach.
Sims is a native of Spartanburg, S.C.
