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Lakewood linebacker Rolando Sims leads on field and off

 
Rolando Sims, a junior linebacker for the Lakewood High Spartans, will wear No. 4, the number that honors a player fatally stabbed in 1994. Sims works hard in the classroom and has a 3.4 grade point average.
Rolando Sims, a junior linebacker for the Lakewood High Spartans, will wear No. 4, the number that honors a player fatally stabbed in 1994. Sims works hard in the classroom and has a 3.4 grade point average.
Published Aug. 24, 2016

At 5-foot-8, 185 pounds, Rolando Sims is not the biggest player on the football field. But when he puts on his pads and his Lakewood High helmet, he believes that he is.

Sims, a junior, is not yet the class valedictorian. But when he is in the classroom, furiously taking notes and asking questions, he believes that he is.

There is no off button. The youngest of eight brothers and a sister, Sims realized early on that the only way to get results is to work hard. It's why he was awarded Lakewood's prestigious No. 4 jersey, which honors former football player Carlos Jackson, who was stabbed to death in 1994.

Juniors usually don't get the No. 4 jersey.

"It's very, very rare," coach Cory Moore said. "He is one of the best kids I've ever coached from a character standpoint. He's just an all-around good kid. He works hard on the field and off the field."

Sims has been a member of Lakewood's varsity since late in his freshman year. He played most of his sophomore season and is ready to start every game at linebacker this season. The fact that he gets to wear No. 4 as a junior does not surprise him.

"I was kind of expecting it," Sims said. "Even coming up from (junior varsity) I was always stepping up as a leader, even if you were in a higher grade than me. I didn't care. If something needs to be corrected, then I'm going to speak up."

Fellow junior linebacker Kyandre Moore has been best friends with Sims since seventh grade. He's not surprised that an underclassman has taken charge in the locker room.

"He's definitely a great leader because he leads by example," Kyandre Moore said. "I'm with him all the time, on and off the field. He's just a very good leader and he knows everybody on the team is looking at him."

Because of that, Sims knows there can't be any off days. Before entering high school he was an average student. Then he realized that football talent and grades were the key to continuing in college. He developed a note-taking system and has an agenda to keep up with homework assignments.

He said his grade point average is currently 3.4.

"After this report card, it'll be higher than that," he said.

Not one to set modest goals, Sims thinks big when he thinks about his future. He said he enjoys his classes in the medical field and health sciences. He might pursue a career in those fields, but first he would like to play football for as long as possible.

"I have big dreams," he said. "I want to always get better myself. But I also want us to win a state championship. After that, I want to go to a Division 1 university and then finish my NFL career off for about a good 15, 16 years."

Lakewood kicks off its season Friday against Boca Ciega. The Spartans are favored to win the four-team Class 5A, District 9. As usual, they have plenty of talent on offense. The key to the season will be how the defense plays.

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Sims will play a big role at linebacker. He'll be asked to roam around the field making tackles. Sims approaches practices just like he does the classroom. During film sessions, he vigilantly takes notes to be as prepared as possible.

He figures he's as ready as ever for his junior season.

"I'm very comfortable at (linebacker)," Sims said. "If I have to go to college for safety or cornerback, then I'm willing to. I know how to play just about anywhere on defense, so I can fit in wherever you put me."