Editor’s Note: Each month, coaches will nominate a player for our Athlete of the Month. Fans can then vote for their favorite player on our Twitter @CovNewsSports. Winners will be profiled each month.

Josh Sims’ performance during the first few games of the Eastside football season shows exactly why he was voted The Covington News’ August 2016 Athlete of the Month by fans.

“It felt good to know that people are watching me,” said the senior wide receiver. “It feels good knowing that they support me and feel that I played well enough in the month of August to be athlete of the month.”

Sims was nominated by Eastside coach Troy Hoff and won 50 percent of the fan votes, going up against fellow Eastside athlete Ally Allgood (23 percent) and Newton wide receiver Tyrese Peacock (27 percent). This is also not the first award he’s won in the young season, as he was named Eastside’s Player of the Week three weeks in a row, as well as Special Teams Player of the Week for his play against Luella and best “Big Hit” against Alcovy.

Sims had been urged by friends and family since a young age to play football due to his speed. He first started playing in fifth grade, but it wasn’t until eighth that he finally began to take it seriously.

“My biggest strength is probably my quickness because it makes it hard for people to cover me, and my hands are pretty good too,” said Sims. His numbers so far this season back how fast he is: a recorded 13 receptions for three touchdowns and 205 yards. Those three touchdowns came against the Eagles’ game against Newton, where Sims had nine receptions for 128 yards.

Several schools have taken note of Sims’ talent, including Kentucky Christian and Tennessee Tech. But it was James Madison University in Harrisburg, Virginia that caught his eye in return.

“James Madison has a beautiful campus,” Sims said. “When I went to visit there, there was no other school that made an impact on me that James Madison did.”

Once Sims completes his senior year, he’d like to go on to study health sciences and then complete a physician’s assistant program — but not before winning region and state championships with his teammates, who he says have made this year a special one.

“My favorite part about this season is that most of our team is seniors, and we’ve been playing together for the past four or five years,” he said. “Our brotherhood and our camaraderie is amazing.”

When asked what encourages him to put it all on the field, he made no hesitation in his answer.
“God gave me this ability to go out on the field and play for him,” he said. “That’s what motivates me.”