From Gridiron to Grill: Billy Sims' Journey from NFL Star to Barbecue Entrepreneur

What happens when a football legend trades the gridiron for the grill? We sit down with Billy Sims, former Detroit Lions star, who shares his inspiring journey from a celebrated athlete to a successful barbecue entrepreneur. Alongside my co-hosts Kristen Carlson, aka Mrs. Vino, and Jordan, also known as J-Bone from Radio Cobra, we unravel the story behind Billy Sims Barbecue's emergence as a beloved franchise, despite the hurdles of a global pandemic. With locations spread across various states, Billy's transition is a testament to his passion and perseverance.

Listen as Billy reveals the secrets behind the mouth-watering magic of his barbecue, emphasizing the critical role of freshness and quality in their delectable offerings. Discover the story of their signature sauce, now gracing Walmart shelves nationwide, and learn from Kristen as she shares expert wine pairings, such as a bold cabernet, to enhance the smoky flavors of the menu's favorites like the Heisman sandwich. Filled with insights into his personal involvement with each franchise, Billy also shares his enduring love for the Detroit Lions, seamlessly blending his passions for food, wine, and sports.

As the conversation unfolds, Billy reflects on how high school sports shaped his destiny, sharing anecdotes from his early days in St. Louis and his football career in Texas. From the influence of his grandmother to the guidance of Coach Switzer, Billy’s story is rich with life lessons that transcend the world of sports. His advice to young athletes is both practical and profound—prioritize academics over athletics and strive for excellence in every endeavor. This episode offers listeners an inspiring blend of nostalgia, wisdom, and culinary passion from a sports veteran who has successfully forged a new path.

https://linktr.ee/ManCaveHappyHour

www.ManCaveHappyHour.com

Jamie Flanagan @DJJamieDetroit

Matt Fox @fox_beazlefox

Merch www.WearingFunny.com

Chapters

• 0:01 Man Cave Happy Hour With BBQ
• 4:33 Barbecue Business and Football Fanfare
• 16:20 High School Sports Impact Interview
• 24:17 Life Lessons From a Sports Veteran

Transcript

Billy Sims: 0:01

I said hey, hey, welcome to the man Cave Happy Hour. I said hey hey, welcome to the man Cave Happy Hour.

Jamie: 0:16

We're gonna drink a fine whiskey and smoke a really fine cigar. It is time for Happy Hour the man Cave Happy Hour. I'm Jamie Flanagan.

Mrs. Vino: 0:27

Hi everyone. Kristen Carlson, mrs Vino.

J-Bone: 0:30

I am Jordan, also known as J-Bone, on Radio Cobra.

Jamie: 0:33

And we are on location with Radio Cobra in the man Cave Happy Hour and it is time for some barbecue. We are at Billy Simms Barbecue and we have Billy Simms with us. Billy Sims, welcome to the show.

Billy Sims: 0:47

Thanks for being with us, glad to be on the show. I'm glad you're here trying out the barbecue.

Jamie: 0:51

Yes.

Billy Sims: 0:52

So if you have any problem, it wasn't me.

Jamie: 0:57

So you know football, football, football.

Billy Sims: 0:59

Go Lions.

Jamie: 1:00

It's time of the year. Here's my thing.

Billy Sims: 1:02

I say that in Texas See what I've done in Dallas.

Jamie: 1:05

You're getting in trouble, big trouble, yeah, yeah, but so I firmly believe, because the Lions won their first championship in 1935. Okay, and it was the same year as the Tigers won their first World Series and the Wings won their first Stanley Cup.

Billy Sims: 1:20

And it was the city of champions, and the city was just electric.

Jamie: 1:27

And then there were some lean years in between for the Lions, and I truly believe that you are one of the things that kept that fan excitement going, and I don't think there would be the fan base that we have today without you, right, because right now it's insane.

Billy Sims: 1:43

Totally insane for the whole state of Michigan. Totally insane For the whole state of Michigan, not just Detroit, the whole state of Michigan.

Jamie: 1:49

Yeah, and I don't think, I really I don't think it would be without you and the records you set and the performances you put on.

Billy Sims: 1:57

Yeah, well, I look back and you know, going first I'm not bragging first round, first pick at that time was pretty good, yeah, until they told me where I was going, I said the Lions. Oh no, not the Lions. They had won one game when they drafted me, but I really didn't have a favorite pro team anyway. So, man, I was just glad I was getting drafted and probably my best year, I can say this, was 83. We win the division, we go out the candlestick and you know what happened.

Jamie: 2:32

Yeah.

Billy Sims: 2:35

And our great kicker.

Dylan: 2:39

Eddie.

Billy Sims: 2:39

Murray went for the win. We've been on to the next round, right yeah, and that's just been.

Jamie: 2:44

Detroit's luck until this year. Yeah, went for the win. Uh-huh, we've been on to the next round.

Billy Sims: 2:47

Right, you know, yeah, and that's just been Detroit's luck until this year and it's been amazing.

Jamie: 2:50

But I wanted to talk about the amazing food here at the Billy Sims Barbecue. I mean, it's like the football stories. We know the football stories, right right, I don't know about the food. So you've been doing this for 20-some years, going on 22 years Wow.

Billy Sims: 3:04

Actually, my business partner is named Jeff Jackson, and it's his fault.

Jamie: 3:10

Jeff's fault, yeah. So how did you get into the barbecue, how did you launch this?

Billy Sims: 3:17

Actually, jeff and I made an autograph. We used to be in the Million Billion Store selling a lot of football stuff, basketball, whatever, and at that time I was in Dallas. I still live in the Dallas area, but I would drive up to Tulsa, oklahoma, to do some autograph signing. So for the years down the road he said you know what you and I need to do something together? I said you know what you and I need to do something together? I said do what together?

Billy Sims: 3:47

We all go in the barbecue baby. I said the barbecue, like most men. We all think we're in the barbecue, but it's different on a restaurant level and one thing led to another and I held out for about a couple more years. Thing led to another and I held out for about a couple more years and all of a sudden and I'm thinking we'll start one or two stores around 2006 or 7 we started franchising and before the pandemic we had over 63 stores oh wow yeah we got about half that many.

Jamie: 4:21

Yeah, that was a rough one, so many.

Billy Sims: 4:24

We're even in Wisconsin. I didn't know they eat barbecue.

J-Bone: 4:28

There's cheese head down there.

Jamie: 4:31

Yeah, so that's kind of how I got started. All right, so tell me about the meats, and do you know how you select the meats? Is there a particular type that you guys get?

Billy Sims: 4:44

Well, actually'll make sure. Well, actually, we make sure that our food is fresh every day and we, like most other barbecues spots, that we, uh, have good people behind it that know what they're doing you got an amazing crew here and that's the key who's in the kitchen? We great people here working and it ain't all about me, I'm just part of it and we make sure they leave with a full stomach. If not, if they have a problem, they can always find out what they need to do. We'll take care of it.

Jamie: 5:19

What about the sauces? How did you formulate the sauce that you have?

Billy Sims: 5:25

well, even with that, uh, when we first started, we was testing, had our employees to be tested?

Jamie: 5:33

okay, tough job yeah, tough job.

Billy Sims: 5:38

This guy named uh, steve knight it was kind of his idea on the sauce Okay, and everybody loved it. So we went with the sauce and we marketed it real well and even today several Walmart stores around the country carry the sauce.

Jamie: 5:57

Oh, so you can get the sauce outside of here, right?

Mrs. Vino: 6:00

Oh, okay, yeah, I've seen it too, oh Right.

Billy Sims: 6:03

So that's how we got involved with the sauce.

Jamie: 6:06

Okay, all right. Has it been the same recipe for the 22 years?

Billy Sims: 6:11

Pretty much, pretty much, wow, very cool.

Jamie: 6:15

So Jordan is here. He's my rock and roll guy. Okay, and then down on the end Kristen she's known as Mrs Vino and she's a sommelier. She's all about wine and she does on the show. She helps us pair things up. So have you ever thought about pairing the barbecue up with anything, Kristen? What's your advice for Billy on that?

Mrs. Vino: 6:39

Yeah, so you know whether it's wine, beer.

J-Bone: 6:42

I know I heard your beer drinker.

Billy Sims: 6:45

Sometime in time. All right, we might get a little something under the table.

Jamie: 6:49

Yeah, I might have something under the table. Just saying we might have a little something under the table.

Mrs. Vino: 6:53

But yeah, whenever it comes to barbecue, I think the best wine to pair is like a big cab, and this one I brought specifically for you Look at that it's called jogger not, and it has a lion on it. So very appropriate. And this is all hillside select cabernet fruit. So it's from a very specific area in cali, um, and then I also have non-alcoholic beers, because I know there's, you know, individuals and in the sphere, who you know don't partake in alcohol. And then beer and barbecue. That just goes together.

Billy Sims: 7:29

Depending on what state they're in?

Mrs. Vino: 7:31

Yeah, depending on what state they're in. Yeah, you got it.

Billy Sims: 7:34

Or Jamie over here.

Jamie: 7:35

I know, if I just pour him some whiskey, he'll be fine. So, that's generally where I go when I'm doing barbecue. I will do a whiskey cocktail with it, or just a whiskey on the rocks for that, generally speaking. But it's a bold cab, you would say, for the wine.

Mrs. Vino: 7:54

Yeah, for barbecue, because you know, obviously you've got the smoky the nice deep flavors, the caramelization from your sauce. I was looking at your ingredients and yeah, that's typically what goes well with it and you know many women will like it, and when you boys were saying barbecue is you know, usually it has a man thing, I'm the one who takes over the grill at my house, but that's just me. That's me, and then I've got my smoker too, my husband knows get out of here, Just bring me some wine.

J-Bone: 8:27

I for one can't cook, so I choose to order carryout barbecue. I'm going to be going home with some stuff today. I want to try the chili.

Billy Sims: 8:34

I'm a chili guy, you're a chili guy. Pretty good chili.

Jamie: 8:40

I've got to try the chili. So on the menu here. Do you have a favorite on the menu? Oh yeah, it's the Heisman sandwich. Did you have a hand in putting that together? Oh yeah, tell me about the Heisman sandwich. What's in the Heisman?

Billy Sims: 8:52

Several meats you can put on it. I don't know, because back in Oklahoma, texas, we smoked bologna. We put that on it.

J-Bone: 9:02

It just depends.

Billy Sims: 9:04

Really, once you build it, it's really enough for two people.

Jamie: 9:07

Yeah, it looks like there's a photo up on the wall.

Billy Sims: 9:11

It's monstrous, oh yeah, so definitely the Heisen samples I usually go to.

Jamie: 9:17

All right, I don't know if we get in trouble if we crack one of these open.

Billy Sims: 9:20

Most of all, the food, like I said, is done fresh every day, so you should get a good meal once you come to Billy Simms.

Jamie: 9:31

And there's like 30-some around the country. Right, it's just BillySimsBBQcom and that's going to take you in and find the locations.

Billy Sims: 9:38

Yep, actually we're looking at a spot Back here in Southfield. Okay, today we went and viewed it.

Jamie: 9:46

So we're coming back. How involved are you with the individual franchises?

Billy Sims: 9:51

From day one. I go to all of them once we open up. I don't tell them I'm coming, but I come, yeah. Surprise visit. The boss is popping in and today.

Jamie: 10:04

I appreciate that you were able to sit down with a couple of my journalism students and they talked football and they talked high school football with you. Right, that was a ton of fun. We're going to attach that interview to this as well when we put it up. But the Lions today and— how about?

Billy Sims: 10:20

them Lions. How about them Lions, right Wow.

Jamie: 10:24

Have you been to a few of the games? How are they treating you when you show up Just like?

Billy Sims: 10:32

I'm one of the players.

Jamie: 10:37

I get that feeling about putting on some shoulder pads and running out there at the one yard line.

Mrs. Vino: 10:41

Make it a little easy. You just want to airplane in, don't you? I play at the one yard line. You just want to airplane in don't you?

Billy Sims: 10:45

Yeah, but I'm so happy for the state of Michigan.

Jamie: 10:50

Yes.

Billy Sims: 10:50

Because I know my first year here and they have been losing forever but loyal, loyal fans all over the state.

Mrs. Vino: 10:59

Big time.

Billy Sims: 11:00

And I traveled this whole state when I was here to different places, do different things, and they show up regardless.

J-Bone: 11:07

Yeah, even in different cities, we're literally taking over other stadiums when it comes to fan base. That's right, that's right yeah, but we deserve it.

Dylan: 11:17

We deserve it. We do For sure.

Jamie: 11:21

We deserve it. If anybody deserves it, it's us. Well, we're glad that you're here for the celebration this year and that you get to take part of it and be on the sidelines there.

Billy Sims: 11:32

I had packed my bags last year to go to Vegas. We was there. We're on our way.

J-Bone: 11:38

This time. Listen, I'm going to confess something I did, the ultimate sin as a football fan. This is the first time I'm telling this, so this might ruffle some feathers.

Mrs. Vino: 11:50

Oh, this is confession time, j-bone. Yeah, it's horrible, it's rather horrible.

J-Bone: 11:54

I feel horrible about it. But at halftime of that San Francisco-Detroit game, the NFC Championship game, I actually put in my vacation time for the day after the Super Bowl because I was sure we're going. I time for the day after the Super Bowl because I was sure we're going. I was too. So imagine what I felt like coming into work Monday and canceling that. Terrible terrible, but that's okay.

Billy Sims: 12:15

We're coming back this year. This year is our year.

J-Bone: 12:18

Very confident. This year is our year.

Jamie: 12:22

Well, Billy, we appreciate you taking some time and sitting down with us.

Billy Sims: 12:25

I appreciate you guys coming over, and what we're going to do is we're going to go and we're going to eat some sandwiches.

Jamie: 12:31

We're going to get some barbecue and we're going to crack that wine and the ribs will do it too.

Billy Sims: 12:35

I love ribs, ribs will do it.

Jamie: 12:37

I might have to do the ribs you got to do the ribs All right, billy. I appreciate again, appreciate the time and just appreciate everything you've done for this city to keep the fan excitement alive.

Billy Sims: 12:49

Well, thank you, you know, like I say, depending on your supporting cast of people around you, even like in any business. You're as good as they are and, like I said, we had a shot in 83. We go out to Candlestick and that's when they was on their Super Bowl run the 49ers.

Jamie: 13:12

Yeah.

Billy Sims: 13:14

And if it wasn't for that wind off the ocean, eddie Murray makes that kick. Yeah, I mean I slid him asleep all the time he was going. Oh, took the right turn yeah, but I also blamed the coach at that time. It was going. Took the right turn yeah, but I also blamed the coach at that time. Oh, bless his heart, coach Monty Clark.

Jamie: 13:33

Yeah.

Billy Sims: 13:35

We was down 23 to nothing at halftime. Oh, our quarterback threw five interceptions. Oh, I'm not going to say who it was. Pull the goalie. Pull the goalie. I know who it was.

J-Bone: 13:49

We don't have to say no names, but anyway.

Billy Sims: 13:52

So I go in at halftime. I'm mad because we're not running the ball.

Dylan: 13:55

Yeah.

Billy Sims: 13:56

We're doing something to try to offset these fence with Ronnie Lott and all those guys. Well, sometimes you got to be careful. What you ask for, I told the coach. Coach, give me the ball, give me the ball.

Jamie: 14:15

Well, at halftime he ran me to dust. I scored two touchdowns.

Billy Sims: 14:18

We're back in the game and it comes down to the kick To kick, and the wind just pushed it. They're close to continuing on, yeah.

Jamie: 14:29

I like one of our other DJs here, Bruce, and he said that you were the reason he bought his season tickets back. 82 is when he first got his season tickets.

Billy Sims: 14:39

Oh, okay. You were the motivation for that Well, I appreciate that, just to be able to see you do what you do out.

Jamie: 14:44

There was just magical.

Billy Sims: 14:45

I wasn magical by myself. I just had a little bit of help I remember the magic.

Jamie: 14:50

I was a young lad, but I remember that magic.

Billy Sims: 14:53

I remember that magic I was gonna say I I was not old enough to see that, but I will tell you this.

Mrs. Vino: 15:00

So I brought you a little present because in in leading up to getting to meet you, I was watching all of your career highlight reels and I was in so much pain. I'm like oh, my God, I'm like my husband's got to have something in the closet, so I'm going to gift you this Arnica gel. Pass it down, Just to let you know I felt those ninja kicks, I felt those flips when you were talking about doing gymnastics. You've been listening. Yes, sir, absolutely, absolutely. You're very welcome. I can't pass up a legend.

Jamie: 15:39

Yes, so, billy, it was truly an honor, Thank you. Thank you for sitting down with us. Thank you guys for having me on. Thank you, thank you. Thank you for sitting down with us. Thank you guys for having me on. Thank you, hey, can we?

J-Bone: 15:47

get a Super Bowl prediction from you, though? Oh yeah, prediction, lions prediction. Oh yeah, just win, just win.

Jamie: 15:52

Just win. All right, I love it, love it, love it. All right, thank you. Thank, radio Cobra, detroit. Hey, it's Jamie for the man Cave Happy Hour. Mrs Vino J-Bone, we had some fun talking to Billy, and Billy also got to sit down and talk to. As I had mentioned, I alluded to a couple of my high school students recording a podcast called High Impact Sports. It's the impact high school sports has on a person, and so we're going to turn it over to Dylan and Nolan as they talk to Billy about high impact sports.

Dylan: 16:30

Hello and welcome to the High Impact Sports Podcast. This podcast looks at the impact high school sports had on people and what does participating in sports as a young person do for you in your adult life. I'm Dylan, your host for this episode, and my guest today is football legend Detroit Lion All-Star Heisman Trophy winner, the original number 20, billy Sims.

Billy Sims: 16:47

Billy Sims yes, how you doing, folks, I'm just glad to be here All right.

Dylan: 16:51

Well, mr Sims, welcome and thank you for being here with me today, and the first question I'm going to ask is, overall, how did playing a sport in high school shape who you are today?

Billy Sims: 16:59

Well, really I was more of a baseball guy. I was born in St Louis, missouri, then I moved to Texas where everybody played football. But back in the 60s most black kids like myself, we played baseball because the Cardinals was pretty good then, okay. And once I moved to Texas, I didn't start playing football, actually until the 10th grade, because I didn't want to get hit. Right, yeah, I wanted to pitch the ball and I didn't want to get hit, right.

Billy Sims: 17:26

Yeah, I wanted to pitch the ball and I was a left-handed pitcher and throw the curveball, slide it, all that stuff. And when it was time to go to college, most of the bigger universities wanted me to come play football, and so I just really concentrated on playing that sport.

Dylan: 17:45

Okay, well, that leads into my second question what sports did you play in high school?

Billy Sims: 17:49

Well, when you come from and grow up in a little small town, like I did, everybody played both ways. Okay so, multiple sports, basketball, baseball, you name it we was out there playing.

Dylan: 18:02

Okay, so what sports did you play? Did you play any other sports besides baseball?

Billy Sims: 18:08

Well, I had the basketball. I was a pretty good basketball player, believe it or not. Mostly they told me I played it like I was playing football, but I liked to get the rebounds Right, get up there and mix it up Right.

Dylan: 18:20

And I was pretty good.

Billy Sims: 18:21

I might maybe average 15 points. You know a game, but I liked to jump and do all that stuff to get the football I mean the basketball back to the good players.

Dylan: 18:32

Okay, well, what would you say?

Billy Sims: 18:34

your greatest success was that in your high school career, like getting scouted by getting recruited for college you know, it's funny thing about it was I was actually uh headed to baylor university at that time. Baylor was uh uh had beat the big school like the University of Texas.

Billy Sims: 18:57

They upset them and I was not going to Oklahoma because I wanted to go to Baylor because of my grandmother. Well, Baylor is a Baptist school and we was Baptist. So I just said well, Grandma, I'll just go to Baylor, Okay. But lo and behold, Coach Swerson had some other ideas for me and they had just won a national championship in 74 and 75. Wow, I finally go visit Oklahoma, and after that the rest was history.

Dylan: 19:33

I'm going to touch on a little bit of that, of those sports. What coach would you say impacted you the most, and did you stay in touch with any of your old coaches To this day my high school coach bless his heart.

Billy Sims: 19:46

He died of a heart attack years after coaching high school, but I still stay in touch with Coach Switzer. We've talked probably at least once, twice a month to this day. Really, he's that kind of guy and most of the players that played for him also called him back, you know, a couple times a month to check on him, see how he's doing, because he's close to 90 right now, but he don't look 90. Okay, he's got some good genes.

Billy Sims: 20:14

He's got some good genes All right, but he was the biggest influence on my life when it came to play football.

Dylan: 20:22

Okay, well, who would you say is the most important teammate was to you in any of those sports?

Billy Sims: 20:29

Well, probably, I'll say college In college. It wasn't a time where you was going to play one or two years and leave. Right, we was there four years. Four years we worked together Yep, played together and had jobs together during the summertime. And a guy by the name of Victor Hicks he was a tight end played for the Los Angeles Rams around the early 80s. Okay, and he was it's a funny thing about it because we never even throw the ball that much, but one thing about it, because we never even throw the ball that much, but one thing about it he could block. Okay, and to this day we're still best of friends.

Dylan: 21:05

Nice, when you were playing, did you have any rituals or superstitions before your games?

Billy Sims: 21:14

Well, you know, funny thing, one thing I would always do before the game started I would go in the weight room and tighten up a little bit.

Dylan: 21:22

Get a quick pump in?

Billy Sims: 21:23

Yeah get a good pump, all right. And then I would say, why are you over there lifting weights? I said I got to build myself up and get ready for these hits, right, that's what I was doing, you know, and it kind of worked out for me. Okay. How important would you say? Winning is well, rather than on your job or any sports. Winning is very important, but the one thing about winning you can't do it by yourself, right? I was just very fortunate to have a lot of great supporting cast of guys around me, and it's like going into the barbecue business it ain't all about me. I got a lot of great people that works at Billy Sims Barbecue.

Dylan: 22:04

Nice. Now this leads into my next question what taught you more winning or losing?

Billy Sims: 22:10

I would say losing really. Because there was a time where I actually quit college football, oh really, and I was going to go back home to my little small town in Texas. I actually quit college football. I was going to go back home to my little small town in Texas to pump gas. Coach Switzer got a win of that. I left the university that year, my sophomore year, because I was hurt. I didn't even play, I fractured my shoulder.

Billy Sims: 22:38

We ran the wishbone offense and he came down to my little town and he told me he said, well, if you're going to pump gas, you're going to pump it in Norman Oklahoma. That's where the university is Right, yes. So he came and got me and brought me back, so he saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. Okay, and the next thing, like I said, was history.

Dylan: 23:02

All right, nice. So when your football career ended, how did you adjust to life?

Billy Sims: 23:08

You know, real easy. I looked at other guys that played the game and once their career was over with they didn't know what they was going to do. But I had plans during that time, working at different jobs that I know football wasn't forever Right and I immediately started seeking out other opportunities to be involved in.

Dylan: 23:33

Okay. Like the barbecue business Right.

Billy Sims: 23:37

Yes, Looks like a great business. Well, going on 22 years, we're doing something right. You know the funny thing about it I was hoping it wouldn't work. Oh, really, yep, because at one time I was involved in charter schools in the Dallas area and I just wanted to do that. And my business partner he's here today. He kept after me for three or four years down the road. We finally started the business back in 2005. We're in several other states beside Oklahoma and I thought we'd just do one or two stores. Well, a few years after that, we started franchising and it just took off. Nice, because we had great people on board that could cook the food Right. Yes, you need that. That's very important. You got to have that. Yes, you got to have that.

Dylan: 24:30

I hate to make you feel old, but that was one year before I was born.

Billy Sims: 24:34

Well, that's okay. That's okay. You know, I turned 69. I'm 69 now. Had I known I was going to live this long, I would have played baseball instead of football.

Dylan: 24:47

I tell people that all the time All right. Well, is there any final thoughts you would like to add about your time in sports or any lessons you could teach future athletes?

Billy Sims: 24:56

Well, I always say academics before athletics, future athletes Well, I always say academics before athletics Because I've had kids that played and I made sure they were studying and get the grades Right and then I didn't force them to do anything. But once they start something, they're going to finish it Right. Yes, and other than that, just live to be great citizens.

Dylan: 25:16

All right, well, that's all I got, thank you. Thank you for your time. That's all I got, thank you. Thank you for your time, mr Billy Simmons.

Billy Sims: 25:21

Thank you, sir. Just Billy, that way I don't seem so old. Okay, all right.