ALLEN PARK -- Though Ernie Sims suffered five concussions during his college
career, his father says it is nothing to worry about.
Sims is currently in Detroit's rookie mini-camp, which will conclude Sunday.
"We did perform the MRI to make sure the brain stem was intact and it was
fine," said Ernie Sims, Jr., father of the Lions' first-round draft pick. "The
NFL -- all the teams -- did it and Ernie's fine.
"It's just that when you've got 230 pounds and run a 4.4 forty and hit like
he does, it's going to be difficult. As a matter of fact, Ernie gave more
concussions than he took."
In fact, the concussion Sims' parents -- Ernie Jr. and Alice -- remember best
was not one he received but one he delivered -- to his younger brother Marcus,
when they were high school teammates.
"You'd better ask his mother about that one," said Ernie Jr., laughing.
Alice, a former Florida State sprinter and long jumper herself, recalls the
incident well.
"Marcus was a freshman and Ernie was a senior," she said. "I was at work and
big Ernie called me and said, 'Alice, they had to rush Marcus to the emergency
room, but he's okay now.' "
The rest of the conversation went something like this:
Alice: "Well, Ernie, what happened?"
Ernie Jr.: "He was running the football and somebody hit him, so he got a mild
concussion."
Alice: "Well, who hit him?"
Ernie Jr.: (hesitating) "Ernie."
"So when they came home from camp, I said, 'Ernie ... son, didn't you see
that was your brother running the ball?' He said, 'Mama, I just saw somebody
running with the football, I didn't know it was Marcus,' " Alice said.
"That's when I told him, 'Son, if you hit my boy like that again, I'm going
to break both of your legs,'" she said, laughing.