By all accounts, Texas A&M signee Chace Sims is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, which might surprise the offensive linemen tasked with trying to stop the 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle.

“Sims is mean (on the field). The kid is just mean,” Richmond Randle head coach Brian Randle said. “It’s so funny because he’s such a good man. Chace Sims is such a good kid, has a great heart, and was raised right by his parents. He is a genuine human being.”

Sims is also a genuine terror to opposing offenses. The 247Sports Four-Star and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football three-star recruit leads the Lions defense with 87 tackles, 28 tackles for-loss, 11 sacks, nine quarterback hurries, and three forced fumbles. 

Those are fantastic stats for a linebacker or defensive end. Sims put up those stats as a defensive tackle.

“You know how some people say you can’t just turn on the switch and play football,” Randle said. “Well, some people can turn on the switch, and Chace Sims is one of those people. When the lights come on, he’s a completely different animal.”

Sims is the undeniable leader of the defense, both on and off the field. This season, the defense has been the best 11-man defense in Texas. The Lion defense enters the Class 5A Division II state championship game against South Oak Cliff, allowing 7.6 points per game. Randle’s defense has posted four shutouts, allowed more than 10 points in only five games, and hasn’t allowed more than 14 points in a game this season.

Unbeknownst to many, Sims was injured during Richmond Randle’s third-round playoff game against Brenham, which the Lions won 28-14.

“(The injury) is one of the reasons why they had the success they had against our defense,” Randle said. “We didn’t have our Four-Star in there, so things were a little different.”

Randle faced the prospect of having his four-star recruit on the sideline when the Lions played a talented Iowa Colony offense in the quarterfinals. The head coach was already nervous about facing the Pioneers for a second time after losing to Huntsville in a playoff rematch last season.

But Randle believes in erring on the side of caution, especially with an athlete with such tremendous potential. Randle called Sims’ father, Jeurel, to explain how he felt it was best to keep Chace out of the game against Iowa Colony.

“I wanted to get through the Iowa Colony game and have him healthy for the semifinals,” Randle recalled. “I’m on the phone with his dad, and I could hear his mom (Sandra) yelling in the background, saying he’ll be ready to play. She said he was playing no matter what.”

Any questions about where Chace learned to work hard and be a good person were answered at that moment.

“When you have parents like that who push you, you can’t help but be successful,” Randle said. “They are hard-working, blue-collar people and just grind. Being around them and having them on our team is a blessing.”

Randle said Chace gets his size from Jeurel, who he describes as a “mountain of a man.” While Chace is currently listed at 6-foot-3, Randle said he is still growing, which should frighten offensive linemen in the SEC.

“We had a thing yesterday,” Randle said. “He came up and stood beside me, and I was like, ‘God, son, when did you get taller than me?’”

Randle and the Lions will need Sims at his meanest when they meet SOC to cap off the action at AT&T Stadium on Friday.

“It’s going to be the biggest offensive line we’ve faced,” Randle said. “They’re extremely big, but the best thing about us is we respect all but fear no one.”