JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Mike Sims-Walker has another NFL jersey to add to his collection.
Sims-Walker asked for and received Terrell Owens’ No. 81 Buffalo jersey following Sunday’s 18-15 victory over the Bills. He plans to frame it and hang it in his house, right next to jerseys from Tennessee running back Chris Johnson, Arizona cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and San Diego cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
“I’m a fan, not just a student,” Sims-Walker said.
If he keeps playing the way he has this season, Sims-Walker’s jersey might be in demand. The third-year player from Orlando has a team-high 47 receptions for 694 yards and six touchdowns, and he’s a big reason the Jaguars (6-4) have won three in a row and six of eight.
Sidelined by injuries his first two years, Sims-Walker has scored touchdowns in each of the last three games and has become David Garrard’s go-to guy.
the game-winning drive, including a 3-yarder for a touchdown on a third-and-goal play with 56 seconds remaining. Sims-Walker finished with eight receptions for 91 yards.
“When you have Mike Sims-Walker out there, it doesn’t matter who they have on him,” Garrard said. “Mike is going to beat most of the guys in front of him. He has that confidence. He has that swagger, so I want to get him the ball as much as possible. And he does a great job getting yards after he catches the ball. He has made me real confident throwing it to him.”
With victories against Kansas City, the New York Jets and Buffalo, the Jaguars are right in the middle of the AFC wild-card race. They have winnable games against San Francisco (4-6), Houston (5-4) and Miami (5-5) the next three weeks, so things could get better, too.
“It feels great,” Sims-Walker said. “We’re not content, we’re not comfortable. We know we still have a lot of work to put in and a lot of work to do to reach the playoffs. We’ve got to keep fighting. We’re not letting up at all.”
Sims-Walker has made too many strides to let up now.
A third-round draft pick in 2007 out of Central Florida, Sims-Walker missed his rookie year because of a knee injury, then sat out several games last season because of a sprained ligament in his other knee and an ensuing staph infection that required hospitalization.
Just as he was getting healthy, one of his close friends was fatally stabbed in an Orlando nightclub. When Sims-Walker returned home the following week for his friend’s funeral, his father complained about pain associated with colon cancer and died a day later.
Sims-Walker dedicated this season to the memory of his dad, vowing to stay on the field no matter what. That’s one reason why he bounced up after taking a helmet to the left knee Sunday, jogged off the field and returned to the game a play later.
“I told myself I’m not going to let any sprains or anything keep me out this year,” he said. “They’re going to have to airlift me off the field before I stop playing. I fought through it.”
The Jaguars are counting on Sims-Walker to stay healthy.
With fellow receivers Troy Williamson and Jarett Dillard on injured reserve, Jacksonville has little experience behind Sims-Walker and seven-time Pro Bowler Torry Holt. While Holt has been solid, Sims-Walker has been much more than just a pleasant surprise.
“This guy is real natural. He’s big, he’s athletic, he’s fast, he’s got great hands,” coach Jack Del Rio said. “The first practice you could see it. His talent was obvious, and then he got hurt. It’s really been a matter of him being healthy and on the field this year. … He’s just done a great job. You’re happy for a guy that’s worked that hard to finally see the fruits of that labor.”
Having opponents ask for his jersey might be the next step in his progression.
“I’ve got a long way to go,” Sims-Walker said. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do. I’ve been doing this for half a year. I’m not even close to that. I’m just going to keep working. Hopefully, in a couple of years, I’ll be in that category.”
Add A Comment