The Patriots posted this on their X account Friday in honor of former No. 1 pick Kenneth Sims, who passed away at the age of 65. (X image)

In the spring of 1982, he was the symbol of hope for the New England Patriots and their fans.

Former Patriots and overall NFL No. 1 pick Kenneth Sims reportedly has passed away at the age of 65.

Sims was a standout defensive lineman at the University of Texas, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was the first Longhorn to win the Lombardi Award as college football’s top lineman. However, his Patriot career never really became what many had hoped due to injuries.

In his eight years, he recorded 17 sacks in 74 games played. He was fourth in AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 1982, a reduced season thanks to a players strike in which the Patriots made the playoffs.

Ironically, Sims’ best season came in the year New England made its first Super Bowl, as he had 5.5 sacks. He played in 13 games but did not play in the Super Bowl due to a season-ending broken leg.

Sims had one complete season, 1984, and injuries continued to plague him (back in 1987, ruptured Achilles in 1988). His final season was in 1989, which ended with a knee injury.

(Material from Patriots.com was used in this report.)