One of the faces of Generation Next was smudged with blood.
During a University of Hawaii football drill, running back Landon Sims took a handoff and ran into a streetcar named linebacker Logan Taylor. In trying to punch the football free from Sims’ high-and-tight grip, Taylor’s aim was off the mark and right on the nose.
“If you ask (quarterback) Jake Farrell, he’ll tell you my nose looked like a ‘Z,’” Sims said. “Logan Taylor’s got a nickname around the locker room. He’s called the ‘House of Pain.’ He lives up to it pretty well. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Sims’ nose was reset to its original position and, with his nostrils clear and no other problems, he returned to play.
“It happens,” Sims said. “No hard feelings. He’s the nicest guy in the world off the field, but on the field he’s an absolute dog.”
That same split personality could describe Sims, the son of former UH running back Travis Sims. The elder Sims, with calves so thick he could not wear jeans comfortably, was a straight-head dasher who helped fuel the Warriors to an 11-2 record in 1992, punctuated with a Holiday Bowl victory over Illinois.
Despite both having blond hair and wearing No. 30, Landon offers a different style from his father. “He’s a better blocker than me, I can tell you that much,” Travis said. “From a blocking standpoint, he makes me look silly. I never had to do that a lot. He does have better lateral (moves) than I did. He can read (the second-level defense) a little quicker than I could. He’s coming through, and he’s reacting. He has better vision.”
At 6 feet 2 and 205 pounds, Landon is 4 inches taller than his father. Landon was a standout running back and linebacker at Peninsula High in Gig Harbor, Wash. Because of the pandemic, his senior season was moved to the spring of 2021 and abbreviated to six games. He rushed for 850 yards, averaging 9.5 yards per carry, and found the end zone 13 times. But the six-game sample was not large to attract widespread attention from Division I programs.
Sims had planned to attend Pepperdine as regular student, when he was invited to join the Rainbow Warriors. “They did a good job of persuading me,” he said. “They knew I’d miss football.”
He redshirted as a running back in 2021. Last year, Timmy Chang’s first as head coach, Sims moved to tight end. He played in 10 games. At the suggestion of Farrell, the coaches re-watched Sims’ high school videos, which highlighted his quickness and burst. Ahead of this training camp, it was decided Sims would move to running back.
But Sims’ full participation was delayed after he suffered hamstring tightness during player-run practices this summer. On Wednesday, he took part in all drills.
“It’s good to be back,” he said. “The biggest thing is not to rush it. It’s a marathon not a sprint. We’ve got to be ready for the 26th (against Vanderbilt in the season opener), not next week. They’re kind of easing me back.”
Slashback Tylan Hines is the top running back who also can align as a slotback. Sim will be used on runs, pass protection and receiving. He also is a starter on six special-team units.
Sims quickly fit into the Warriors’ culture. “Coming out here is when I really fell in love with the program,” he said. “You meet a crazy amount of diverse people from all over, and they welcome you. You can’t ask for more love. And we have a lot of fun here. It’s really the best place in the world. I can’t imagine being anywhere else. If they gave me a $100,000 NIL to anywhere, I’d say, ‘no, keep it. I’m here for Hawaii. I’m not here for the money.’”
