Career Notes: Three-time first-team All-Gateway selection...one of just two Penguins to be named first-team in three consecutive years (Derek Rivers)...played in 45 games and made 38 starts...finished with 283 total tackles which ranked in the top 15 in school history.
2007 (Senior): First-Team All-Gateway performer...earned Honorable-Mention All-America honors from The Sports Network...played and started all 11 games...had 65 total tackles, including 42 solo stops...finished third on the team in total tackles...led team in solo stops...had 11 tackles for losses for 42 yards in losses...had 5.5 sacks for 36 yards in losses...finished with a team-high nine quarterback hurries...had one forced fumble and one interception...finished with a season-high 10 tackles against Southern Utah...had seven solo stops against the Thunderbirds...credited with nine tackles, including seven solos at Indiana State...had eight solo stops against Illinois State...had five stops at Ohio State...had six tackles against top-ranked UNI...also had five stops against South Dakota State, Stony Brook and Western Illinois...had four stops against Lock Haven, Missouri State and Southern Illinois...had an interception in win over Stony Brook...had a season-high two sacks against Illinois State...also had sacks against SDSU, SBU and UNI...named team captain...earned his fourth letter.
2006 (Junior): First-Team All-Gateway performer...played and started 13 games...started the first 10 games before missing the Western Kentucky game due to an ankle injury…started all three in the playoffs...second on the team with 76 total tackles, including 39 solo stops...tied for team lead in sacks (5.5) and fumble recoveries (two)...led team with three forced fumbles...had five pass breakups...second on team with 10.5 tackles for losses...sacks went for 17 yards in losses while TFLs accounted for 45...third in the Gateway in sacks per game (0.42)...fifth in GFC in tackles for losses per game (0.81)...third in forced fumbles (0.23)...had 1.5 sacks against Maine, one sack against Slippery Rock, Western Illinois and Illinois State, and a half sack against Southern Illinois…had a season-high 2.5 tackles for loss against Slippery Rock and Maine…accounted for 16 yards in losses against the Black Bears…also had tackles for loss against Penn State, UC Davis, Indiana State, Illinois State and Southern Illinois…forced fumbles against Slippery Rock, Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois…recovered a fumble against Slippery Rock and Penn State…recorded five pass breakups with one apiece against Penn State, UC Davis, Indiana State, Western Illinois and Appalachian State…posted six tackles or more in eight games…registered a season-high 10 total tackles against Maine…registered nine stops at Appalachian State...had eight tackles against Indiana State…made seven tackles against Slippery Rock, Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois…finished with six, including five solos in playoff win over Illinois State...had six tackles versus UC Davis...had four at Penn State, Western Illinois and Illinois State...lone tackle against James Madison came on final play of the game stopping quarterback Justin Rascati short on a fourth-down rush...earned his third letter.
2005 (Sophomore): A First-Team All-Gateway selection...first Penguin linebacker named to the first team since Tim Johnson in 2000...third-team All-Northwest Region selection by the Football Gazette...one of two sophomores selected first-team all-league on defense (Marion Rumph, Western Kentucky)...played in all 11 games, starting 10 contests at BAN linebacker...led the squad with 71 total tackles...had a team-high 44 solos stops...tied for the team lead with 10.5 tackles for losses...second with 4.5 sacks...of his tackles for losses, 9.5 came in conference play...second on the team with 10 special teams tackles, nine of which came on kickoffs...had at least six tackles in eight games...had three tackles and first career interception against Slippery Rock...tallied four tackles versus Northeastern...credited with six tackles at Liberty...had six tackles, including a sack at Pittsburgh...also forced a fumble against the Panthers...had a career-high-tying 13 tackles versus Illinois State...had eight solo stops and two tackles for losses against the Redbirds...finished with eight tackles at Indiana State...had two sacks for 17 yards in losses and a pass breakup versus the Sycamores...had seven tackles, including a sack against Western Illinois...had four tackles, two of which went for losses at UNI...had six tackles at Southern Illinois, including five solos...finished with eight tackles in season finale versus Western Kentucky...earned his second letter.
2004 (Freshman): Was named to the Gateway Football Conference’s All-Newcomer team...played in 10 games and started the final four of the season...recorded 71 total tackles, including 36 solo stops...was fourth on the team in total tackles...finished 15th in the Gateway in tackles per game (7.1)...recorded 44 tackles in six Gateway games played...had a season-high 13 stops in season finale at Missouri State...had a season-high six solo stops versus the Bears...finished with 10 tackles at Illinois State...recorded nine stops against Liberty and Indiana State...had eight tackles in debut against Slippery Rock...led team in tackles against SRU...had five tackles against The Rock...had six stops at McNeese State...credited with solo five tackles at Western Illinois...had two tackles against Florida International...recorded a stop at Western Kentucky...forced fumbles against Liberty and Northern Iowa...against UNI forced a Terrance Freeney fumble and recovered it on the same sequence...recovery set up the go-ahead touchdown (20-19) in the fourth quarter...had a pass deflection at Illinois State...had 2.5 tackles for nine yards in losses...had at least eight tackles on six occasions.
High School: Prepped at Fork Union Military Academy in 2003 where he played primarily linebacker...three-star player by Rivals.com and two stars by TheInsiders.com...one of the top players in Virginia at Woodbridge High School...played on both sides of the ball...All-Atlantic region by PrepStar...No. 38 running back in the country by Rivals.com and No. 100 by TheInsiders.com...No. 98 player in the Atlantic East region by Rivals.com...ranked 11th by the Roanoke Times, 12th by Rivals.com and the Charlottesville Daily Progress “Gold List,” and 20th by SuperPrep...second-team Group AAA All-Virginia selection as a senior linebacker...Cardinal District 2002 Defensive Player of the Year...earned first-team all-region and all-district honors as a linebacker that season...also received first-team all-district nod at running back...rushed for 908 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior and recorded 70 tackles on defense...coach was Keith King.
Post YSU: Studied Biology at YSU…earned a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from George Mason University…is a software engineer for Comcast…James, his wife, Jacquline, and their three children – Jasmine, Josie and Julianna – reside in Canfield.
