Meet incoming first-year student Joseph Sims, Esports recruit

Like many high school athletes, Joseph Sims was recruited for college based partially on his skill at playing football.

Unlike many of those athletes, he plays football on a video screen. Sims, a graduate of St. Xavier High School in Louisville and an incoming first-year student at Bellarmine, is a whiz at Madden NFL, an American football sports video game series named for Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and commentator John Madden.

He will be playing Madden for Bellarmine's Esports team on a partial scholarship.

"Joseph's competitive record made him stand out," said Mitch Greenwell, the director of Bellarmine's Esports program. "He is a determined competitor with a very impressive record during his time at St. Xavier."

Last spring, Sims won the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) state championship in Madden '24.

"This summer, he made an amazing run in the PlayVS [the only official high school league], which comprises all the state champions around the country," Greenwell said. "He finished third in the nation, eventually being knocked out by the national champ."

Sims said that his college search had come down to Bellarmine and another Louisville university. "Not only did Bellarmine give me a scholarship, I also feel that they provide more academically," he said. He plans to major in Mathematics.

"I never thought that video games could give me an opportunity like this," he said. "I always saw it as just a pastime. But Esports is important to me because I treat it as any other sport, and it is something that I have found out that I am really good at."

Esports was categorized as a KHSAA sport five years ago. Since then, it's been the fastest-growing high school sport. Bellarmine, a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), currently fields players on four Esports teams.

"Esports is a growing and evolving competitive scene-it's even being added to future Olympic events," Greenwell said. "As the director, I feel that Esports holds a place on campus alongside the other amazing competitive programs we offer."

Bellarmine, which also has an Esports minor, is one of a small number of universities nationally that offer both competition and academic credit in Esports.

"One of the joys of my job is being able to work with students who are some of the best at what they do, many of whom don't get the recognition they deserve for their dedication to the games they play," Greenwell said. "The scholarships that we offer let students know that we value their talents and see a bright future for them as Knights, both in gaming and as students."

We couldn't help but notice that Sims shares a name with a social-simulation game that allows players to create and control virtual people. But Greenwell assured us that Joseph Sims is real.

"I met him in real life," Greenwell said. "He may be a Sims, but he's not a Sim!"

To learn more about Bellarmine's Esports teams and academic offerings, visit the Esports page.