JF's Sims verbally commits to kick at UVa

Jefferson Forest senior placekicker and punter Dylan Sims was offered preferred walk-on status by both Virginia’s and Virginia Tech’s football programs following a stellar season in which he converted all 50 of his extra-point attempts and five field goals.

He verbally committed to Virginia last week in part for the opportunity to play for former JF and UVa Cavalier Anthony Poindexter, who serves as special teams coordinator and safeties coach.

"I’m really excited," said Sims, who has a 3.95 GPA at JF and plans to study engineering or business. "I’ve been talking to Poindexter a lot and my recruiting coach, [Jeff] Hanson. Anthony set up a tour just last week for me. It was awesome. I felt like family up there."

Sims’ verbal commitment isn’t binding until he makes it official in writing on Feb. 1, National Signing Day.

"They told him he had a position on the team and as soon as he becomes a starter, he’ll get a scholarship," said Jeff Sims, Dylan’s dad. "[Poindexter] believes he can start at UVa right away."

"Anthony told me I have a chance to, hopefully next year if I can prove myself, be the kickoff guy because all three or their kickers are graduating next year," Dylan Sims added of placekicker Robert Randolph, kickoff specialist Chris Hinkebein and punter Jimmy Howell. Sims also averaged better than 40 yards per punt this past season at JF and 40 of his 50 kickoffs went for touchbacks. "But I want to hopefully work my way up to kicking field goals as well."

Sims started kicking at the age of 11 and Virginia and Virginia Tech have always been his two favorite college teams.

"Once he got those two offers, those were his dream [choices] to play at an ACC school," Jeff Sims said.

He said Virginia, where LCA graduate Mike Rocco is the starting quarterback, showed more interest in Sims than did Tech, where former Nelson County quarterback/punter Brian Saunders graduated following a stellar season punting in 2010.

"The experience of being recruited at UVa has been unbelievable," Jeff Sims said. "The amount of time that coach [Mike] London and Poindexter spent with him, … They’ve treated him like a quarterback, not a kicker. The facilities there are world class, and the coaching staff is world class as well."

He said Poindexter has always wanted to coach JF graduates, but never thought the first would be a kicker.

"[Dylan’s] a local kid going to play for a local legend," Jeff Sims said of Poindexter, who played defensive back for UVa and the Baltimore Ravens.

Sims had many more opportunities to show off his foot this past fall than he did in 2010, when JF finished 2-8. The Cavaliers did a complete 180 this season, going 8-2 in the regular season and 9-3 overall, falling to Broadway in the Region III, Division 4 championship game.

"He was pretty good his junior season, but JF was 2-8 and they rarely ever scored, so he got no recognition," Jeff Sims said, noting Dylan earned first-team all-Region III status both as a punter and a placekicker this fall.

His longest field goal this season was from 49 yards and three of his misses were from 55, 57 and 59 yards.

Last July, Sims hit back-to-back 50-yarders and placed eighth out of more than 200 placekickers at a Nike kicking camp in Las Vegas. He qualified by winning a Nike kicking combine in Charlotte, N.C., where he competed against 40 or 50 other kickers.

"That was awesome," Sims said of the Vegas trip, noting he also had an 81-yard kickoff that caught the coaches’ attention. "That was one of my best experiences."

He expects many more to come working with Poindexter at UVa.