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John James (American football)

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John James
No. 6
Position:Punter
Personal information
Born: (1949-01-21) January 21, 1949 (age 75)
Panama City, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:197 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High school:Gainesville (FL)
College:Florida
Undrafted:1972
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Punts:1,083
Punting yards:43,992
Average distance:40.6
Stats at Pro Football Reference

John Wilbur James, Jr. (born January 21, 1949) is an American former college and professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. James played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons, the Detroit Lions and the Houston Oilers of the NFL. James led the league in punting yards four times, a record since tied by Shane Lechler.

Early life

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James was born in Panama City, Florida in 1949.[1] James has three older sisters.

College career

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James attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he was a walk-on punter for the Florida Gators football team under coaches Ray Graves and Doug Dickey from 1969 to 1971.[2] He was the Gators' starting punter in 1970 and 1971, and kicked fifty-seven punts for an average distance of 40.3 yards during his senior year in 1971.[2] James graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in 1971, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1978.[3][4]

Professional career

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James played in the NFL from 1972 to 1984 for three teams: the Atlanta Falcons (ten years), the Detroit Lions (three games) and the Houston Oilers (three years).[5] He reached the peak of his profession, being selected three times for the Pro Bowl,[6] an NFL all-star game pitting the best players from the American Football Conference (AFC) against the best of the National Football Conference (NFC). James finished his thirteen-season NFL career with a total of 1,083 punts for 43,992 yards and an average distance of 40.6 yards.[5]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Punting
GP Punts Yds Net Yds Lng Avg Net Avg Blk Ins20 TB
1972 ATL 14 61 2,609 2,310 59 42.8 37.9 0 - 3
1973 ATL 14 63 2,682 2,397 72 42.6 38.0 0 - 5
1974 ATL 14 96 3,891 3,093 65 40.5 31.9 1 - 7
1975 ATL 14 89 3,696 3,047 75 41.5 33.9 1 - 13
1976 ATL 14 101 4,253 3,653 67 42.1 36.2 0 28 12
1977 ATL 14 105 4,349 3,570 61 41.4 34.0 0 19 13
1978 ATL 16 109 4,227 3,742 57 38.8 34.0 1 24 9
1979 ATL 16 83 3,296 2,957 62 39.7 35.2 1 12 4
1980 ATL 16 79 3,087 2,707 59 39.1 34.3 0 25 7
1981 ATL 16 87 3,543 2,866 62 40.7 32.6 1 13 5
1982 DET 2 12 481 404 50 40.1 33.7 0 3 2
HOU 5 31 1,260 1,062 56 40.6 34.3 0 4 2
1983 HOU 16 79 3,136 2,622 53 39.7 32.8 1 12 8
1984 HOU 16 88 3,482 2,764 55 39.6 31.4 0 20 5
Career 187 1,083 43,992 37,194 75 40.6 34.2 6 160 95

Playoffs

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Year Team Punting
GP Punts Yds Net Yds Lng Avg Net Avg Blk Ins20 TB
1978 ATL 2 13 457 358 49 35.2 27.5 0 1 2
1980 ATL 1 4 144 148 40 36.0 37.0 0 2 0
Career 3 17 601 506 49 35.4 29.8 0 3 2

Life after the NFL

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James is the father of five children, Helen James, Scott James, Matthew James, Susanna James, and Rose James and grandfather of six. He has held the position of executive director of Gator Boosters, Inc. at the University of Florida since 1986, and oversees the booster fund-raising operation to fund athletic scholarships for Gator athletes.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, John James. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
  2. ^ a b 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 85, 152, 182 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  3. ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "Bean And Koch Inducted", The Ledger, p. 1D (March 30, 1978). Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  5. ^ a b National Football League, Historical Players, John James. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  6. ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, John James Archived February 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  7. ^ GatorZone.com, University Athletic Association Department Directory. Retrieved June 4, 2010.

Bibliography

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  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
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