John James

John Wilbur James, Jr. (born January 21, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a punter for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and 1980s. James played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons, the Detroit Lions and the Houston Oilers. James led the league in punting yards four times, a record since tied by Shane Lechler.

Early life

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

College career

James attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he was a walk-on punter for the Gators teams under coaches Ray Graves and Doug Dickey from 1969 to 1971. 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.

Professional career

James played in the NFL from to for three teams: the Atlanta Falcons (ten years), the Detroit Lions (three games) and the Houston Oilers (three years). He reached the peak of his profession, being selected three times for the Pro Bowl, 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.