If Blake Sims seems more mature than your average college football player, that’s probably because he’s experienced a lot more in life than your typical 22-year-old college kid.
Sims, a Gainesville, Ga. native, is enjoying success in his first year as Alabama’s starting quarterback. Originally committed to Bama, Sims switched his commitment to Tennessee back when Lane Kiffin was the coach of the Vols. He flipped back to Bama after Lane left for USC. Now he gets the best of both worlds; he’s playing for Saban, while Kiffin is now his offensive coordinator. Funny how that works.
But what makes Sims much more mature than your average player is his life experience. Sims was married for four years and has a 5-year-old daughter, Kyla.
Sims’ high school girlfriend Rafaela Souza got pregnant and had their daughter when Sims was a junior in high school.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach did a story on Sims in September and wrote about the situation:
But the most special lady in Sims’ life is his 5-year-old daughter, Kyla. Sims’ first girlfriend became pregnant during his senior year at Gainesville High. Sonny Sims said he’d always told his son that he couldn’t bring a grandchild into the family unless he was married. So Blake married his girlfriend, Rafaela Souza, before leaving for Alabama. The couple was married for four years, but their long-distance relationship didn’t work and they divorced last year. Blake is able to see his daughter on most football weekends and returns to Gainesville whenever he can.
“Her mother and I have a very good relationship,” Blake said. “Her mother lets her come see me every chance she gets. She’s in good hands with her mother.”
Dang when big ivory here someone else gets me but glad Lil Blake was with me man I love her pic.twitter.com/1Qs3noN
— Blake Sims (@_bsims6) July 3, 2012
Though Sims initially thought that being a dad so young and having a daughter at such a young age would mean his life and sports career would be over, he says it helped inspire him to do much better academically and athletically.
Kyla lives with Souza in Gainesville, and Sims still has a very good relationship with his ex, as he said in the quote. He also appears to have a lot of love for his baby girl.
