Lionel James
Encyclopedia
Lionel 'Little Train' James (born May 25, 1962 in Albany, Georgia
), is a former professional American football
player who was selected by the San Diego Chargers
in the 5th round of the 1984 NFL Draft
. Undersized at 5'6" and 171 lbs., James played running back
at Auburn University
where he shared the backfield with Bo Jackson. James would be apart the 1983 SEC Champion and Sugar Bowl champion team. He spent his entire 5 year NFL career with the Chargers from 1984-1988. His best year as a pro came during the 1985 season
when he set the then-NFL season records for receiving yards by a running back and all-purpose yardage
. He also led the AFC
in receptions
that year.
In 1985, James set the NFL record for all purpose yards in a season with 2,535 yards. He also set the record for receiving yards by a running back with 1,027 yards
while also leading the AFC in receptions with 86. On November 10, 1985, he had his best day as a pro versus the Los Angeles Raiders. He gained 345 all-purpose yards including a career best 168 yards receiving and scored the winning touchdown in a 40–34 overtime victory. The total yardage was second at the time only to the 373 yards by Billy Cannon
in 1961. He might have broken the record in earlier game that season against the Cincinnati Bengals
except for a Chargers penalty that cost him 89 yards of a 100-yard kickoff return. James finished that game with 316 yards.
James record for receiving yards by a running back was broken by Marshall Faulk
(1,048) in 1999, and his all purpose yardage record was eclipsed in 2000 by Derrick Mason
(2,690 yards).
James currently lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife and children, who attend Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic school in Homewood, Alabama.
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
), is a former professional American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was selected by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 5th round of the 1984 NFL Draft
1984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...
. Undersized at 5'6" and 171 lbs., James played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
at Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
where he shared the backfield with Bo Jackson. James would be apart the 1983 SEC Champion and Sugar Bowl champion team. He spent his entire 5 year NFL career with the Chargers from 1984-1988. His best year as a pro came during the 1985 season
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
when he set the then-NFL season records for receiving yards by a running back and all-purpose yardage
All-purpose yardage
All-purpose yards or All-purpose yardage is an American football and Canadian football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the...
. He also led the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
in receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
that year.
In 1985, James set the NFL record for all purpose yards in a season with 2,535 yards. He also set the record for receiving yards by a running back with 1,027 yards
while also leading the AFC in receptions with 86. On November 10, 1985, he had his best day as a pro versus the Los Angeles Raiders. He gained 345 all-purpose yards including a career best 168 yards receiving and scored the winning touchdown in a 40–34 overtime victory. The total yardage was second at the time only to the 373 yards by Billy Cannon
Billy Cannon
William Abb "Billy" Cannon is an All-American, 1959 Heisman Trophy winner and 2008 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and one of the American Football League's most celebrated players.He was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and moved...
in 1961. He might have broken the record in earlier game that season against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
except for a Chargers penalty that cost him 89 yards of a 100-yard kickoff return. James finished that game with 316 yards.
James record for receiving yards by a running back was broken by Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
(1,048) in 1999, and his all purpose yardage record was eclipsed in 2000 by Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
(2,690 yards).
James currently lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife and children, who attend Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic school in Homewood, Alabama.
External links
- Lionel James College & Pro Football Statistics at TotalFootballStats.com