Reese's Senior Bowl: South Team Practice Jan. 20, 2015

Blake Sims (6) of Alabama practices for the Senior Bowl on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, in Fairhope, Ala.

(Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

MOBILE, Alabama -- Looking back, Blake Sims remembers the hug. The tears were flowing in the Superdome locker after Alabama's 42-35 loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.

Season: over.

Alabama career: done.

And Sims' heart was broken.

So the quarterback recalls the embrace from Nick Saban when it hurt the most. It was his lowest moment as Sims threw three interceptions in the upset loss. But it's also fueling his next campaign to prove the doubters wrong.

That fresh, unsettling memory is a driving force in Sims' quest to become an NFL quarterback this week in Mobile. He's one of three quarterbacks on the South team for the Senior Bowl that'll be played Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Sims opened up in a candid interview after Tuesday's practice about his next goal and how the last one factors in.

"The reason I want another chance is because I love the game. I love the excitement," he said. "... And I just want to have another shot and maybe I can do something in the NFL to make up for what I did in the Sugar Bowl."

Sims and his teammates describe a painful fallout from the Ohio State loss. But a group of fellow players were there to console their red-eyed quarterback in the locker room. Sims remembers Austin Shepherd, Jalston Fowler, Landon Collins, Robert Foster and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin were there for him.

"It was bad," Sims said. "I was crying pretty bad. I didn't cry just because we lost the game and it was my last year. I cried because I feel like I let all my teammates down because maybe there was something I could have done better. They were just reaching out for that trophy and they just couldn't get it. Maybe I could have done something better."

Sims completed 22 of 36 passes for 237 yards, two touchdowns and three critical interceptions.

Shepherd, the right tackle, is also in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. He just shook his head when asked about speaking with Sims in the locker room that night.

"I don't ever want to remember anything from that night," he said.

Fowler has vivid memories of Sims' reaction.

"He was taking it pretty hard," Fowler said. "He was in there crying, like boo-hooing crying. Like loud."

But he had a message for his teammate of five years.

"What you crying for, man? You did something that people didn't expect you to do," Fowler said. "You played a big role in this offense. If we didn't have you, we wouldn't have won as many games as we did."

Sims broke the school's single-season passing record with 3,487 yards on 252-of-391 passing. Sometimes guarded in interview situations, Sims spoke freely about his recollections of his season as starting quarterback.

"It's a lot of memories, through the year from the first game to the last game," Sims said. "From Arkansas where we realized how much we loved each other to LSU where we had 50 seconds left on the clock and we came together then and we had the attitude we would not be denied. To when we played Auburn. To when it was a flip-flop situation to where I'm always picking my players up to my players are coming to me to pick me up."

Fowler can't blame him for his response to the Sugar Bowl, but wants him to remember the good times.

"I understand where he's coming from because people doubted him and he did some big things," Fowler said. "To see him go out like that, it's tragic."

Sims hasn't watched the tape from the Sugar Bowl. He has no plans to do so.

"I can't do it," he said. "I'm going to leave that in the past."

One play still haunts him. Alabama was down six in the third quarter when Buckeye Steve Miller stepped in his passing lane, intercepted his throw and ran it 41 yards for a touchdown.

"It plays over in my head all the time," Sims said. "When I start talking about Alabama football, that's the first thing that comes to my mind."

One day, the good memories will likely overtake the unfortunate ones. Teammates and coaches have been quick to talk about Sims' rise from doubted backup to record-breaking senior.

Sims has a message for those who follow.

"You control your destiny," he said. "Whatever you want, go get it. Don't let anybody tell you that you don't have enough ability, you're not smart enough. I mean, I've been told all of that and I've always proved people wrong. I'm just glad I had the opportunity to play."