Jayhawk trio sign NFL contracts
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas football players James Sims (running back), Aslam Sterling (offensive line) and Josh Ford(wide receiver) signed free agent contracts with National Football League teams immediately following the completion of the 2014 NFL Draft Saturday evening. Sims signed with the Green Bay Packers, Sterling with the Denver Broncos and Ford with the Atlanta Falcons.
Sims, a native of Irving, Texas, was the Big 12’s leading rusher in conference games with 92.1 yards per contest and finished the 2013 campaign ranked second in the league with 1,110 yards overall. That mark made Sims the first player in Kansas history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Sims rushed for at least 70 yards in nine of 12 games in his final collegiate season, including a career-best 211 and three touchdowns in KU’s win over West Virginia.
A two-time All-Big 12 performer, Sims closed his Kansas career among the leaders in several categories. Sims’ 3,592 rushing yards rank third on KU’s all-time charts, his 34 career rushing touchdowns is second, and his breakout performance against the Mountaineers was the 15th-best single-game rushing total by a Kansas player.
Sterling, Springfield Garden, N.Y., native, started 20 games on the offensive line during his two-year Jayhawk career. Sterling, who was instrumental in helping pave the way for Sims’ consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, played both right and left tackle, as well as right guard during his KU career. He joined the Kansas program after playing two seasons at Nassau Community College in New York.
Ford, a Landover, Md., native, was also a two-year player at Kansas after suiting up for two seasons at Arizona Western. He played in 22 games during his time in Lawrence, starting five at wide receiver, while also playing an instrumental role on special teams. Ford hauled in nine receptions for 126 yards, including a career-long reception of 38 yards at Oklahoma State in 2013. He also recorded three blocked punts, a forced fumble and 14 tackles on special teams.
