| Ernie Sims |
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Junior Year (2005): Standout linebacker who started 24 consecutive games for Florida State, including all 13 in 2005...has played in 38 consecutive games (every game of his career)...named one of 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, and finished as the team's fourth-leading tackler with 72 stops...an All-ACC honorable mention pick...set a career-high with 10 tackles for loss, while also registering 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in his second season as a full-time starter...first career interception came in the season opener against Miami...tied with fellow linebacker A.J. Nicholson for third on the team in interceptions (two)...had a season-high 11 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery in a win over Maryland...that performance that earned him ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors...racked up nine tackles, including 2.5 for loss against North Carolina State...had six tackles with a sack in the Orange Bowl against Penn State.
Sophomore Year (2004): Played in all 12 of Florida State's
games while starting the final 11 including the Seminoles' Gator Bowl
victory against West Virginia...an All-America First Team selection in 2004 by ESPN.com...earned All-
ACC second team honors as a sophomoreearned All-ACC second team honors
...finished second on the team with a single-season career-high 86
tackles...also recorded a singe-season career-high nine tackles for lost
yardage, 4.5 quarterback sacks, nine quarterback hurries, five pass
break-ups, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick...career-high 12
tackles and forced fumble came against Florida...led the Seminoles
with three games of 10 or more stops with double-digit tackles coming
against North Carolina, Duke and Florida...named ACC Defensive
Back of the Week in consecutive weeks against Virginia and Wake
Forest...had nine tackles, a career-high two sacks and a blocked punt
in the 36-3 victory over Virginia...followed that outstanding performance with eight tackles, one tackle for lost yardage, a sack and a pass
break-up against Wake Forest...the only player in the ACC to earn the
ACC Defensive Back of the Week honor multiple times during the
season...recorded at least one tackle for lost yardage in eight of the
Seminoles' 12 games with quarterback sacks coming in three different
games...averaged 8.4 tackles over the course of the final seven games
after averaging 5.4 during the first five games of the season.
Freshman Year (2003): Played in all 13 games including the
Seminoles' Orange Bowl appearance against Miami as a true freshman
...one of only five true freshman to see action during the season...
finished ninth on the team with 42 tackles...totaled two tackles for lost
yardage, two pass break-ups, three quarterback hurries and a forced
fumble...was also one of the Seminoles' top special teams performers
...season-high 10 tackles against Wake Forest and earned ACC
Rookie of the Week for his efforts...recorded nine tackles against
Duke and had six at Notre Dame.
High School: Graduated from North Florida Christian in 2003
...the nation's No. 1 high school prospect in 2003...earned All-
America honors by Parade Magazine as the top prep linebacker in the
nation...USA Today All-USA Second-Team as a linebacker...a five-
star player and the No. 1 rated linebacker prospect in the country by
Rivals.com...the No. 1 rated player in the Southeast and the No. 1 rated
player in the state of Florida by Rivals.com...named to the top 100 in
the state of Florida by the Orlando Sentinel...a member of the Super
75 team as selected by the Florida Times Union...named as the No. 1
player in the south and to the All-South Top 20 by the Tampa Tribune
...played as a running back in the annual Cali-Florida All-Star game
following his senior season...earned five varsity letters at NFC as he
earned varsity spot in eighth grade...led the Eagles to four state
championships (1998, 99, 00, 01) during his five year career...an
incredible two-way player during his high school career...totaled 133
tackles (73 solo stops), 15 tackles for lost yardage, six forced fumbles,
seven fumble recoveries and one blocked field goal attempt from his
linebacker position and ran for 1,081 yards on 115 carries for 23
touchdowns as a running back during his senior season...led NFC to
the Class A state championship as he rushed for three touchdowns in
the championship game...totaled 180 tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 12
sacks and forced seven fumbles as a linebacker and rushed for over 600
yards and 17 touchdowns as a running back during his junior season
...selected Florida State over Miami, Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan,
Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, Southern Cal and Oregon.
Personal: Born December 23, 1984...major is environmental
studies...father, Ernie Jr., played football at Florida State for head
coach Bobby Bowden in 1977, 78, 80 and 81 while his mother, the
former Alice Bennett, was an All-American sprinter on the Seminole
track team from 1980-83...wore jersey No. 34 which was retired in
honor of former Seminole great Ron Sellers...with Sellers' permission, the number was brought out of retirement at the request of the
Seminole coaching staff.
