Military veteran Sgt. Billy Sims was a passionate autograph and sports memorabilia collector. His family is remembering Sims as they go through his vast collection.
By Barry Blair⋅
NOV 10, 2026
When Donald “Billy” Anthony Sims II passed away unexpectedly in August, his life was cut much too short at the age of 60.
A devoted husband and family man, soldier and employee of the United States Army, he was also remembered as a friend to many and an avid sports card and memorabilia collector.
His niece, Rachel Brossfield, and nephew, Tyler Griffin, are honoring their Uncle Billy’s passion for collecting and the sports collectibles hobby as they go through his vast collection following his passing.
Like a lot of us, Sims started collecting cards when he was a kid, growing up in Pittsburgh as a fan of the Steelers and Pirates. After high school, he joined the Army. When he came home to look for his collection, he discovered that his mother had gotten rid of it all.
“Cards of Mantle, Aaron, Clemente, Dick Groat, all his Steelers cards, they were all gone,” Griffin said.
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Not to be deterred, Sims kept on collecting throughout his life, right up until the end. He and his wife, Kristen, had no children, so Rachel, Tyler, and other nieces and nephews got all the attention.
“He was taking me to card shows and shops as long as I can remember,” Tyler says, “wanting me to enjoy it, just like he did.”
It obviously worked.
“I’m still collecting, keeping it going,” he said.
“He was so good to us, he had this wonderful sense of humor,” Kristen said. “Everybody just wanted to be around him.”
You could tell in their voices just what Sims meant to them. “Collecting was such a big part of his life,” she said.
Sims served for 20 years in the Army as a Military Policeman, with deployments to Germany, Kosovo, Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, and Iraqi Freedom. After retiring, he went to work for the Army at Fort Meade for another 20 years as a civilian contractor, while making his home in Laurel, Md.
For Sims, there were three passions besides his family: pursuing and collecting sports memorabilia; riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle; and his interest in the traditions and history of the United States Army. Having recently retired, he and his wife were in the process of moving closer to family in Chattanooga, Tenn. when he passed away.
“His favorite place to go was Sports Card Hero, a shop in Laurel,” Tyler said. “We went there a lot, we spent a lot of time in there, buying and sorting cards, talking to the guys in the shop, and other collectors. They helped him in obtaining a lot of his autographs over the years. He went to a lot of shows as well. I am sure he would have gone to The National there,” he said when I told him it had been held a couple of times in Baltimore over the years.
The Steelers were always his favorite team and collecting passion, so of course he had a lot of items from the team in his collection. There is a “Steel Curtain” signed jersey and helmet, a Jack Lambert-signed jersey, an autographed team football from their early Super Bowl days, plus an autographed Ben Rothlisberger card.
According to one of his Army buddies, Sims got the opportunity to meet Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw at Ramstein Air Force Base while serving in Germany, thanks to the USO.
One item that he was most proud of, Brossfield said, is a one-of-a-kind piece of baseball artwork on which he had obtained around 75 signatures over the years, many from Baseball Hall of Famers. It includes autographs from Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Pee Wee Reese, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, Carlton Fisk, and Mickey Mantle, to name just a few.
In 2014, he took the artwork to an appearance on the “Antique Roadshow” television show and was told it had an estimated value of around $100,000. Brossfield said he had acquired more signatures on it since that time.
There is also an artwork piece of Yankee great Joe DiMaggio that is signed.
Pittsburgh was always in his heart and his collection reflected that. There are autographed jerseys of Pittsburgh area natives and quarterback greats Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, and Joe Montana.
Also in his collection is a batting helmet signed by Dick Groat, a Pirates star of the 1950s and ’60s who was also a standout basketball player at Duke. And there are multiple items signed by Bradshaw.
He had both Heisman Trophy and Pro Football Hall of Fame helmets signed by several players, as well as a Washington Redskins helmet with signatures from Hall of Famers and Super Bowl MVPs Doug Williams and Mark Rypien (his wife’s favorite).
Also, there was a University of Oklahoma mini-helmet signed by Heisman winner Steve Owens.
“He would get things signed himself, or he might make arrangements for someone else to obtain them for him if he couldn’t go,” Griffin said.
“There are charts and pictures of items, and he had little arrows on them, explaining who they were signed by,” Brossfield said. “He was very organized, sending off to get items he wanted to get signed, even when he was stationed in Germany and he saw an opportunity coming up.”
How about the University of Tennessee football signed by Reggie White?
“Oh, he just loved everything about Reggie White, and how he played the game and the type of person he was.” Griffin said. Ironically, White was from what was to be Sims’ new hometown of Chattanooga, and died much too young as well.
Sims also had a Jack Nicklaus Masters flag. Was he a golfer? “No, not at all. I assume he obtained that just because of the significance of who Nicklaus was,” Griffin replied.
What about cards?
“We have not even begun to go into that yet; there are so many,” he said. “There are a lot of signed cards in his collection. He has one of Patrick Mahomes that is a rookie, autographed with a swatch, one of 50. I believe he pulled it from a pack he opened. There is one of the Watt brothers also, with both of their signatures.”
“Really, there is so much more that he collected that we have yet to even get into,” Rachel says.
Sims’ collection is one that, through the love of his family, will continue to live on.
Sims was laid to rest in the Chattanooga National Cemetery in what was to be his new hometown of Chattanooga, with full military honors. His was a life well lived.
- Barry Blair is an author/writer who lives in Jonesborough, Tenn. You can reach him atbarryblair54@gmail.comor follow him on his website rightfieldpress.com
AutographsDick GroatJ.J. WattPatrick Mahomes IIPittsburgh Piratespittsburgh steelersreggie whiteSports Memorabilia
Barry BlairAuthor
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