Robert James (defensive back)
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| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | July 4, 1947 Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 184 lb (83 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Holloway (Murfreesboro) | ||||||||||
| College | Fisk (1965–1968) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1969: undrafted | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| Career NFL/AFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Robert Dematrice James (born July 7, 1947) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for six seasons with the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). James was a three-time Pro Bowler, in 1972, 1973 and 1974. He played college football for the Fisk Bulldogs and was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent after the 1969 NFL/AFL draft.
High school
[edit]James attended Holloway High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.[1]
College career
[edit]James attended Fisk University, where he played college football for the Bulldogs as a defensive end,[2] and also ran track and field. He graduated in 1969.[3]
Pro career
[edit]James suffered a severe knee injury in a preseason game on August 23, 1975, as a result of a hit by Lawrence McCutcheon that tore the ligaments of his right knee, necessitating operations. He tried to make a comeback target for 1976 and 1977, but realized the futility of his situation, and retired.
He was inducted into the Bills Wall of Fame in 1998, the first defensive back to receive the honor.
Personal life
[edit]James returned to Middle Tennessee State for a master's degree. He soon became a teacher and assistant principal of Riverdale High in Murfreesboro, and later became a pastor.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ "How Robert James defied odds, made NFL: Top 50 athletes". www.tennessean.com. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Walking the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame: Robert James". thebuffalofanatics.com. May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ↑ "Titans great Bulluck speaking at Fisk ceremony". newspapers.com. October 29, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ↑ Budd Bailey. "Robert James" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2020.
External links
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 | This biographical article relating to an American football defensive back born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1947 births
- Living people
- American football cornerbacks
- American football defensive ends
- Buffalo Bills players
- Fisk Bulldogs football players
- Fisk University alumni
- American Conference Pro Bowl players
- Fisk Bulldogs men's track and field athletes
- Players of American football from Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American football defensive back, 1940s birth stubs