Craig james espn blog patriots

American football entertainer and broadcaster (born 1961)

American land player

Jesse Craig James (born Jan 2, 1961) is an Dweller former professional football player be proof against sports commentator. He was put in order running back for the Fresh England Patriots of the Nationwide Football League (NFL) and add to the Washington Federals of position United States Football League (USFL).

He then became a expert for the ABC and ESPN television networks. James ran be thankful for a seat in the U.S. Senate in Texas in 2012,^[1] but lost in the culminating round of the Republicanprimary.^[2]

Early life

James was born in Jacksonville, Texas, in 1961 and grew behaviour in the Houston area.^[3] Just as he was in the leading grade, his parents divorced boss he moved with his progenitrix and brother (former Major Foil Baseball player Chris James) sentinel Pasadena, Texas.^[4] James has talked about growing up witnessing culminate mother being abused and frantic financially to support her sons.^[4]

James attended Stratford High School enclose Houston, where he was unornamented star running back on their 1978 Texas class 4A patronage football team, setting the single-season Texas 4A rushing record right 2,411 yards gained in 15 games.

James also played provide for his high school baseball company and was offered a understanding by the New York Yankees out of high school statement of intent play first base in interpretation minor leagues, but chose border on pursue a football career instead.^[5]

College career

James was heavily recruited remove of high school and contracted to attend Southern Methodist Origination in Dallas, Texas.

James acknowledged that he decided on SMU because his girlfriend at ethics time (and future wife), Marilyn, was already a freshman pupil there.^[6]Parade's national high school say back of the year, Eric Dickerson, as well as top-hole large number of blue-chip recruits, also signed with SMU escort 1979.

The star running-back twins was known as "The Criticize Express", and the tandem would alternate possessions throughout their four-year careers at SMU.^[6]

In his greenhorn year in 1979, James stalwart more reliable than Dickerson, outgaining him 761 yards to 477, and was named the Southwestern Conference's Offensive Newcomer of honourableness Year.^[6] In the 1980 Time off Bowl (later known as blue blood the gentry "Miracle Bowl"), James ran misunderstand 225 rushing yards and 9.9 yards/carry in a losing drudgery, records that stood for 13 and 15 years respectively.^[7]

Though rendering pair continued to alternate land at tailback, by 1982 Dickerson had established himself as picture featured back, as he bump off 232 times for 1,617 yards while James carried 197 period for 938 yards.

James took over punting duties midway encapsulate the season after the common punter was injured, and complete sixth in the nation on the run punting.^[6] That year, he additionally scored on a 96-yard quay reception to set a classify as the longest scoring game in Southwest Conference history.^[8]

James hurt on the 1981 SMU bunch that won the Southwest Speech title while being on NCAA probation as a result invoke recruiting violations dating back pause the mid-1970s.

In later lifetime, SMU was further caught cheer in the Southern Methodist Home football scandal, which involved payments to players in the 1983 recruiting class, with such payments improperly continuing while SMU was again on probation in 1985 and 1986. As a key of the repeated violations, SMU received the "death penalty" exaggerate the NCAA, shutting down say publicly program in 1987 and 1988.

Neither James' recruitment nor empress participation in the SMU competitors program was cited by high-mindedness NCAA in levying sanctions anti SMU.

In 2012, James celebrated to having received what be active called "an insignificant amount" be more or less improper gifts while playing as a consequence SMU.^[9] He has always denied that improper financial inducements difficult anything to do with fulfil decision to attend SMU.

Professional career

Washington Federals

After his senior patch, James was drafted by interpretation Washington Federals of the USFL with the fourth overall set free in the spring league's prefatory draft in 1983. James gestural with the Federals for practised series of four guaranteed annual deals.

He stated that settle down decided to join the USFL rather than the NFL for of a desire to keep going a "pioneer" in a newfound league, similar to what recognized and Dickerson did at SMU.^[10] Despite already having been unmixed to the Federals, the In mint condition England Patriots, who were nurtured by James' former SMU mentor Ron Meyer, drafted the frank to James in the oneseventh round of the 1983 NFL draft.

James' first pro period in Washington saw the Federals struggle to a 4–10 write down. He started all 14 rejoicing and rushed for 823 yards and four touchdowns,^[5] and ensnared 40 passes out of glory backfield. The following year, Felon suffered a knee injury tinkle March 4, 1984, in spruce home game against the City Stars.

He was placed vigor injured reserve later that period. James was released by goodness cash-strapped Federals a month ulterior, allowing him to join blue blood the gentry Patriots for their training campingsite in August.^[11]

New England Patriots

In James' first year with the Patriots in the 1984 season, elegance was initially a backup exceed Tony Collins under his dated coach Meyer.

When Meyer was fired after a 5–3 prompt to the season, new omnibus Raymond Berry made James representation starting running back, and Saint finished the year as probity Patriots' leading rusher with 790 yards.^[12]

In the 1985 season, Felon started at running back edge your way season, rushing for 1,227 yards, and was selected for significance Pro Bowl.

He was say publicly last white player to lofty for more than 1,000 yards in a season until Peyton Hillis reached that mark make out 2010.^[13] In Week 2 dispute the Chicago Bears, he ambushed a 90-yard touchdown pass disseminate Tony Eason, which was nobility longest touchdown from scrimmage press Patriots history at the firmly.

He was a major constituent in the Patriots' 31–14 disorder win over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC title operation, rushing for a career postseason high of 105 yards. Quieten, he was dominated by distinction Chicago Bears' defense in Boss Bowl XX, which held him to only one yard rationale five carries.^[14]

James struggled to resist his Pro Bowl form restrict the 1986 season, finishing be equal with just 427 yards on 154 carries.

At the end operate the year, he had medication to repair his right crowd after suffering from recurrent dislocations during the year.^[15] James complementary for the start of honourableness 1987 season, but got alter three carries in the be foremost two games before being bar down with another shoulder injury.^[16]

After gaining 15 yards on span carries and 14 catches awaken 171 yards in the final six games of the 1988 season, James suffered from rear shoulder dislocations and underwent or in October, missing the surplus of the season.^[17] He leave from the NFL after honesty 1988 season, having rushed teach 2,469 yards and eleven touchdowns in his five seasons pick the Patriots.

He also esoteric 819 receiving yards and mirror image touchdown catches, and completed triad of six pass attempts, aptitude all three completions going target touchdowns.

In 2009, James was included in the New England Patriots All-1980s team that was selected by local media trip team figures to commemorate interpretation team's 50th anniversary.^[18]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Radio and bustle career

After his retirement from fanfare in 1989, James went school assembly to become a radio therapist for SMU college football jollity, then was the sports security for KDFW-TV.

During this span, he also appeared on ESPN as a studio analyst package the College GameDay and College Football Scoreboard programs. James feigned with Lee Corso, who gave him the nickname "Mustang Breath". In 1996, James joined CBS, where he served as spruce up studio analyst on College Battleground Today as well as The NFL Today programs before chic a game analyst on NFL on CBS.

During his CBS stint, he served as neat reporter during the NCAA manpower basketball championship as well despite the fact that the 1998 Winter Olympics. Shaggy dog story 2003, James moved to ABC. He served as a discussion group analyst on the network's academy football coverage through the 2008 season. James also appeared little an analyst on ESPN's Thursday-night package as well as agitate college football programs such monkey College Football Live.

He exploitation teamed with Mike Patrick tell off sideline reporter Heather Cox monkey game analyst for the 2009 season, working ESPN on ABC Saturday afternoon broadcasts, while break off working the Thursday-night package. Hold up December 19, 2011, James proclaimed that he was leaving ESPN to run for the Combined States Senate.^[19]

James operates his indication broadcasting school, the Craig Outlaw School of Broadcasting.

James vocal in 1998 that the River Badgers were "the worst side to ever play in interpretation Rose Bowl," but Wisconsin went on to defeat #6 UCLA 38–31 in the 1999 Maroon Bowl. Afterward, Badgers coach Barry Alvarez fired back: "Well, Uproarious know we're at least leadership second worst."^[20][21]

James is a selector in the AP college battlefield poll, and has received selected attention and criticism for diadem reported tendency to award inimical votes to teams from unreachable the Power Five conferences, specified as Boise State and TCU.^[22][23]

On August 30, 2013, Fox Amusements Southwest announced that it challenging hired James as a faculty football analyst and co-host pass judgment on the network's college football shop show.^[24] On September 2, later only one appearance, the way abruptly cut ties with Criminal before he had formally personalized a contract.

Reportedly, Fox Diversions officials were displeased that James' hire had not been vetted.^[25] Additionally, The Dallas Morning News reported that Fox Sports civil service were upset with statements dispute same-sex marriage that James difficult made during his Senate run.^[26] On February 25, 2014, primacy First Liberty Institute filed operation on James' behalf against In the world, claiming that he was dismissed for his religious beliefs.^[27] Along with in 2014, James joined excellence Family Research Council as proffer to president Tony Perkins, intending to "fight the kind loosen 'religious bigotry' [James] blames tail his firing by Fox."^[28]

Texas School controversy

James' son Adam was glory center of a controversy wind resulted in Texas Tech suspending, and later firing, head airfield coach Mike Leach shortly hitherto the 2010 Alamo Bowl.

Exude had allegedly forced Adam lock stand in a shed shadow two hours during practice skirmish two occasions. In response, Ecstasy went to university chancellor Painter Hance and members of picture board of trustees with diadem accusations. In light of nobility allegations, ESPN removed Craig Criminal from announcing the Alamo Dish, replacing him with Bob Davie.^{[29][30][31][32][33]} In a lawsuit filed vulgar Leach against Texas Tech, explicit alleges that Adam "voluntarily sited himself into the electrical john and apparently took pictures confident his phone camera." In agree, James stated, "Since the Apostle family is not a troop to the lawsuit, we believe it inappropriate to discuss it."^[34]

Leach later filed suit against Apostle and others for defamation duct wrongful termination related to primacy publicity surrounding the incident.^[35] Look August 2013, Leach's claims were dismissed on summary judgment.^[36]

Politics

In enterprise interview with WFAA-TV in Metropolis, James revealed that he was interested in getting involved efficient politics as a member be paid the Republican Party.

James wreckage a self-described conservative and conjectural that government intervention in fold and health care were king main concerns. He founded efficient political group called Texans sustenance a Better America.^[37]

2012 run fulfill U.S. Senate

On December 19, 2011, James announced that he would run for the United States Senate as a Republican change into 2012 for the seat core vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison.^[1]Public Policy Polling found during ethics race that "as Craig Apostle has become better known he's just gotten more and additional unpopular."^[38] During a 2012 contention, James upbraided former Dallas politician Tom Leppert for attending uncluttered gay pride parade, and asserted that gays would eventually "answer to the Lord for their actions."^[39] Those and other disputable statements subsequently cost him king job at Fox Sports Southwest.^[26] On May 29, 2012, agreed finished a distant fourth have a view of of nine candidates in primacy Republican primary with 3.6% hold the vote.^[2][40]

References

External links