6 Days to go…and we honor two guys that wore the #6 at the same time, on the same team.
#6 Blake Sims was the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback in 2014. Sims attended Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Georgia, where he played football and ran track. He led Gainesville to a 14–1 record and a state runner-up finish. Regarded as a four-star recruit by
Rivals.com
, Sims was ranked as the No. 33 athlete in the nation.
After spending 2010 to 2013 as a running back and backup quarterback, Sims started his first career game during the opener of his senior season in 2014 after beating Jake Coker for the job. Sims broke the Alabama single season passing yards record which was held by AJ McCarron. In 14 starts, he passed for 3,487 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He lost in the semifinals to Ohio State, which later won the championship.
A year later, Alabama won the CFB Playoff national title game by beating top-seeded Clemson, 45-40, in Glendale, Ariz. Sims couldn’t be happier and prouder of the Tide.
“I’m not upset,” Sims said. “I’m not jealous they won a national championship. Hey, I got two back-to-back (2011 and 2012). I’m glad they got it.”
Sims, who led the Crimson Tide to a 12-2 season and No. 3 ranking in 2014, joined the Wollongong Devils in the first year of Australia’s National Gridiron League. Sims has found a new home in the Land Down Under. Please wish him well.
#6 Ha'Sean Treshon "Ha Ha" Clinton-Dix safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) was drafted by the Packers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. A native of Eatonville, Florida, Clinton-Dix was nicknamed "Ha Ha" as an infant by his grandmother in response to "Ha'Sean" often being mispronounced (like "Shaun") instead of the intended (like "seen"). He prefers to go by "Ha Ha" and has stated that both he and his coaches love the moniker.
Worst part about being named HaHa Clinton-Dix? Turns out it's not just his first name that grabs jokesters' attention. "The whole President Clinton thing with Monica Lewinsky," he said with a smile. "I didn't know too much about that, but that's pretty much what it was."
Yes, Ha Ha Clinton Dix has heard that joke.
Not a day goes by that Ha Ha Clinton-Dix doesn’t think about how far he’s come from the Pop Warner fields of Eatonville, back in the days when he’d hide from his mom to avoid practice.
“When I was a kid, I remember I used to hide under the bed sometimes because I didn’t want to go to practice. Even when I didn’t want to go to practice, it could be pouring rain outside and I’d be like, ‘Yes, no practice today,’ and my mom would be there and we were still going and we’d have practice under the pavilion. My mom was always there. Even if she got off work late sometimes, I still went to practice, whether I was 30 minutes late, 45 minutes late … I was still going to practice.”
An All-American defensive back and kick returner at Dr. Phillips High School . Named a five-star recruit by
Rivals.com
, Clinton-Dix was ranked the No. 1 defensive back in his class and sixth-rated player overall. During his senior football season, Clinton-Dix, teamed with All-American running back Dee Hart, led Dr. Phillips High School to a 14–1 season.
Clinton-Dix was one of seven true freshmen that had playing time in 2011 for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Alabama won the 2011 national championship as it shut out LSU 21–0. 2012, he led the team with five interceptions, and made seven tackles against Notre Dame in the 2012 championship game, one tackle less than C. J. Mosley. Alabama again won the BCS National Championship by blowing out Notre Dame 42–14.
“If you don’t love it, then it won’t love you back and you have to have a passion about it,” Clinton-Dix said. “Really, those 60 minutes when I am on the field is my time to enjoy myself and I don’t have to worry about anything, play the game that I love. If you love the game, you are going to do whatever it takes to play on that next Friday night [high school] or Saturday night [college] or Sunday [NFL.]“Every time I talk about it, I am amazed that I’ve made it this far from the Friday night lights. I remember being fresh out of high school and now I’m sitting in Green Bay getting ready for workouts in the morning. It’s so unreal. It’s a blessing and you have to take advantage of every opportunity you have, thank God and continue to live in the moment.”
Now that he’s made it, however, he’s not content. Clinton-Dix wants Super Bowl rings and he wants to be considered one of the best safeties in the NFL. He wants to play in the Pro Bowl. He’s well on his way.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy has said Clinton-Dix is one of the best second-year players he’s ever had after this past season, during which he led Green Bay in tackles with 116 (89 solo) and had three interceptions and three sacks.
“Everyone wants to dream about playing on Sundays, but does everyone want to work to get there?” Clinton-Dix asked. “And once you get there are you thankful or are you just happy to be there? What’s your next step? What’s your next plan?
“Me? I want to be great. I want to continue to work hard to better myself. That’s the next step. It’s been a long journey and took a lot of hard work to get here. … It’s really hard, but to just continue working hard and to have faith has always been a really big thing for me.”