Roland Orlando James is a former 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...

 defensive back

Defensive back

In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...

 who was selected by the New England Patriots

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

 in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft

1980 NFL Draft

The 1980 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 April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...

. At 6'2", 190 lbs from the University of Tennessee

University of Tennessee

The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...

, James played his entire NFL career for the Patriots from 1980 to 1990. He currently resides in Sharon, Massachusetts

Sharon, Massachusetts

Sharon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,612 at the 2010 census. Sharon is part of Greater Boston, about 17 miles southwest of downtown Boston....

 and is working as the Director of Youth Services at the Somerville Community Youth Program in Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...

, and is active in other charitable work.

Playing career

As of 2011, James has the fourth longest punt return in the history of the University of Tennessee, an 89-yard return against Vanderbilt in 1979. While at Tennessee, Roland played in three bowl games: the Hula

Hula Bowl

The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...

, Senior

Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...

 and Bluebonnet

Bluebonnet Bowl

The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was...

 Bowls.

James had the longest punt return in the NFL during the 1980 season. He returned a punt 75 yards for a TD in the Patriots 34-21 win over the New York Jets at Schaefer Stadium

Foxboro Stadium

Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts...

 on November 2. James recorded five sacks in 1981.

He intercepted a pass by David Woodley on the last play of the Patriots 3-0 "Snow Plow" victory over the Miami Dolphins on December 12, 1982.

James intercepted three passes by Joe Ferguson in the third quarter of the Patriots 31-0 shutout of the Bills at Rich Stadium on 10-23-83, becoming the first player in club history to record three interceptions in the same quarter.

He tackled Frank Middleton for a safety in the Patriots 50-17 rout of the Indianapolis Colts on November 18, 1984.

James recovered 10 fumbles during the regular season and recovered a fumble by Freeman McNeil in the Patriots 26-14 AFC Playoff Game win over the NY Jets on December 28, 1985.

He had 29 interceptions and 42 punt returns in 145 regular season games for the New England Patriots.

James played in five playoff games for the New England Patriots.

Coaching career

James went on to coach the Sharon High School football team in Massacheusettes. His son Roman James played free safety at Baylor University

Baylor University

Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...

.