Football | 10/27/2015 5:03:00 PM

Box Score
October is widely known for Breast Cancer Awareness month, but Georgia Southern wide receiver Andre Sims and his family want to spread awareness for childhood cancer year round. Back in 2006, the youngest of the three Sims brothers, Alan, was diagnosed with cancer when he was in kindergarten.
 
"Alan's teacher and I were noticing a lot of headaches and nosebleeds and they were really severe. They started getting worse and he started turning gray," Alan's mother Alida Sims said.  "From that point we went to an emergency pediatrician and they sent us straight to the Children's Hospital of Atlanta and we found out then."
 
Andre, known as AJ to family and friends, was in the middle of one of his playoff football games when he found out.
 
"It was during halftime. My mom called me and told me that Alan was in the hospital because he had cancer," AJ Sims said. "She put him on the phone, and I just broke down crying because he said 'AJ I know you love football, go out there and do your best.'"
 
Despite the heartbreaking news, it actually brought the family closer.
 
"It was almost like a polarizing event. We kind of banded together based off of his strength and what he was going through," Alida said. "We kind of took his lead and how he handled it, and we just went from there."
 
Since the diagnosis, the Sims have been working to spread awareness through sports. They set up the Gold Ribbon Football Game against New Mexico State this year, where coaches wore the gold ribbons to support the cause. Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer which would be the equivalent of one third of the football team.
 
Having to deal with something as pronounced as cancer, it helped the AJ recognize what really matters.
 
"I learned that I don't have anything to complain about," AJ said. "If my little brother can go through what he went through, I can do this whole football thing—the rigorous training, the offseason, having to be on time, still having to go to class and do papers and exams. It might be overwhelming at times but nothing can compare to having cancer at a young age."
 
AJ strives to be a positive role model for his two younger brothers on and off the football field through his accomplishments and hard work.
 
"I do my best for them because at the end of the day, I'm still their big brother, and I'm basically building a reputation for the name on the back of my jersey," AJ said. "I'm paving a way for them. Nothing I'm doing is for me right now. It's for the ones that are following me."
 
Although he's the oldest, he's blazing a trail for his siblings, he still has them – especially Alan-- to thank for inspiration.
 
"I made him strong and he made me strong and as brothers, we made each other strong," AJ said.  "I'm honored to be his brother because of everything he's went through and being a warrior through everything."