View source for Craig James (running back)

{{Short description|American football player and broadcaster (born 1961)}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Craig James
| image       = Craig James 1987.jpg
| caption     = James (''right'') playing for the Patriots in 1985
| number      = 32
| position    = [[Running back]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1961|1|2}}
| birth_place = [[Jacksonville, Texas]], U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 0
| weight_lb   = 215
| high_school = [[Stratford High School (Houston)|Stratford]] ([[Houston, Texas]])
| college     = [[SMU Mustangs football|SMU]] (1979–1982)
| draftyear   = 1983
| draftround  = 7
| draftpick   = 187
| pastteams   =
* [[Orlando Renegades|Washington Federals]] ({{USFL Year|1983}}-{{USFL Year|1984}})
* [[New England Patriots]] ({{NFL Year|1984|1988}})
| highlights  =
* [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1986 Pro Bowl|1985]])
* [[New England Patriots#1980s|New England Patriots All-1980s Team]]
* Third-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1982 College Football All-America Team|1982]])
* [[Southwest Conference|SWC]] Offensive Newcomer of the Year (1979) 
* 3× First-team All-[[Southwest Conference|SWC]] ([[1980 All-Southwest Conference football team|1980]]–[[1982 All-Southwest Conference football team|1982]])
| statlabel1  = [[Carry (gridiron football)|Rushing attempts]]
| statvalue1  = 585
| statlabel2  = [[Rushing yards]]
| statvalue2  = 2,469
| statlabel3  = [[Touchdown|Rushing touchdowns]]
| statvalue3  = 11
| statlabel4  = [[Reception (gridiron football)|Receptions]]
| statvalue4  = 81
| statlabel5  = [[Receiving yards]]
| statvalue5  = 819
| statlabel6  = [[Touchdown|Receiving touchdowns]]
| statvalue6  = 2
| pfr         = JameCr00
}}

'''Jesse Craig James''' (born January 2, 1961) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player and [[sports commentator]].  He was a [[running back]] for the [[New England Patriots]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL) and for the [[Orlando Renegades|Washington Federals]] of the [[United States Football League]] (USFL). He then became a commentator for the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[ESPN]] television networks. James ran for a seat in the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] in [[Texas]] in [[United States Senate election in Texas, 2012|2012]],<ref name="senate12192011">{{cite news |first=Jim |last=Vertuno |agency=Associated Press |title=College football analyst Craig James leaves ESPN to run as a Republican for US Senate in Texas |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 19, 2011 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/espn-college-football-analyst-craig-james-to-run-for-us-senate-in-texas-gop-fundraiser-says/2011/12/19/gIQAvZ9h4O_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111220032951/http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/espn-college-football-analyst-craig-james-to-run-for-us-senate-in-texas-gop-fundraiser-says/2011/12/19/gIQAvZ9h4O_story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 20, 2011}}</ref> but lost in the first round of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Partisan primary|primary]].<ref name="2012 Republican Party Primary">{{cite web |url=http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/enr/results/may29_160_state.htm |title=2012 Republican Party Primary election results - Texas Secretary of State website |url-status=dead |access-date=July 1, 2012 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120610141810/http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/enr/results/may29_160_state.htm |archive-date=June 10, 2012 }}</ref>

==Early life==
James was born in [[Jacksonville, Texas]], in 1961 and grew up in the [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texastribune.org/tribpedia/craig-james/about/|website=Texas Tribune|title=Tribpedia: Craig James|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215740/http://www.texastribune.org/tribpedia/craig-james/about/|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref>  When he was in the first grade, his parents divorced and he moved with his mother and brother (former [[Major League Baseball]] player [[Chris James (baseball)|Chris James]]) to [[Pasadena, Texas]].<ref name=texasmonthy>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/hail-mary |website=Texas Monthly|title=Hail Mary|date=April 2012}}</ref>  James has talked about growing up witnessing his mother being abused and struggling financially to support her sons.<ref name=texasmonthy />

James attended [[Stratford High School (Houston)|Stratford High School]] in Houston, where he was a star [[running back]] on their 1978 Texas class 4A championship football team, setting the single-season Texas 4A rushing record with 2,411 yards gained in 15 games. James also played on his high school baseball team and was offered a contract by the [[New York Yankees]] out of high school to play first base in the minor leagues, but chose to pursue a football career instead.<ref name="blade">{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gxEwAAAAIBAJ&pg=7062,188074|title=Chris James glad he chose baseball over football|newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=September 1, 1991}}</ref>

==College career==
James was heavily recruited out of high school and decided to attend [[Southern Methodist University]] in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]]. James stated that he decided on SMU because his girlfriend at the time (and future wife), Marilyn, was already a freshman student there.<ref name=ESPN>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/dallas/ncf/story/_/page/heisman-dallas-week8/james-dickerson |title='82 Heisman race no Walker in the park|website=ESPN|date=November 1, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Parade (magazine)|Parade]]''<nowiki/>'s national high school running back of the year, [[Eric Dickerson]], as well as a large number of blue-chip recruits, also signed with SMU in 1979. The star running-back tandem was known as "The Pony Express", and the tandem would alternate possessions throughout their four-year careers at SMU.<ref name=ESPN />

In his freshman year in 1979, James proved more reliable than Dickerson, outgaining him 761 yards to 477, and was named the [[Southwest Conference]]'s Offensive Newcomer of the Year.<ref name=ESPN /> In the 1980 [[Holiday Bowl]] (later known as the "[[1980 Holiday Bowl|Miracle Bowl]]"), James ran for 225 rushing yards and 9.9 yards/carry in a losing effort, records that stood for 13 and 15 years respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.holidaybowl.com/records11.htm |title=Holiday Bowl individual rushing records |publisher=Pacific Life Holiday Bowl |access-date=January 5, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051220112941/http://www.holidaybowl.com/records11.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=December 20, 2005}}</ref>

Though the pair continued to alternate possessions at tailback, by 1982 Dickerson had established himself as the featured back, as he carried 232 times for 1,617 yards while James carried 197 times for 938 yards. James took over punting duties midway through the season after the regular punter was injured, and finished sixth in the nation in punting.<ref name=ESPN /> That year, he also scored on a 96-yard [[touchdown]] reception to set a record as the longest scoring play in [[Southwest Conference]] history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://smumustangs.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/greatest-moments-82.html |title=No. 82 in the 90 Greatest Moments in SMU Football History |publisher=SMU Athletics |access-date=January 5, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720133416/http://smumustangs.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/greatest-moments-82.html |archive-date=July 20, 2012 }}</ref>

James played on the 1981 SMU team that won the Southwest Conference title while being on NCAA probation as a result of recruiting violations dating back to the mid-1970s. In later years, SMU was further caught up in the [[Southern Methodist University 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 result of the repeated violations, SMU received the [[Death penalty (NCAA)|"death penalty"]] from the NCAA, shutting down the program in 1987 and 1988. Neither James' recruitment nor his participation in the SMU football program was cited by the NCAA in levying sanctions against SMU.

In 2012, James admitted to having received what he called "an insignificant amount" of improper gifts while playing at SMU.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/01/craig-james-gifts-received-smu-senate-espn/1#.UiZHkz-oeIM | title=Craig James admits to receiving insignificant gifts at SMU |publisher=USA Today | date=January 13, 2012}}</ref>  He has always denied that improper financial inducements had anything to do with his decision to attend SMU.

==Professional career==

===Washington Federals===
After his senior season, James was drafted by the [[Orlando Renegades|Washington Federals]] of the [[United States Football League|USFL]] with the fourth overall pick in the spring league's inaugural draft in 1983. James signed with the Federals for a series of four guaranteed one-year deals. He stated that he decided to join the USFL rather than the [[National Football League|NFL]] because of a desire to be a "pioneer" in a new league, similar to what he and Dickerson did at SMU.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=swMhAAAAIBAJ&pg=5228,2282974|title=The Day - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> Despite already having been signed to the Federals, the [[New England Patriots]], who were coached by James' former SMU coach [[Ron Meyer]], drafted the rights to James in the seventh round of the [[1983 NFL draft]].

James' first pro season in Washington saw the Federals struggle to a 4–10 record. He started all 14 games and rushed for 823 yards and four touchdowns,<ref name="blade" /> and caught 40 passes out of the backfield. The following year, James suffered a knee injury on March 4, 1984, in a home game against the [[Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars|Philadelphia Stars]]. He was placed on injured reserve later that week. James was released by the cash-strapped Federals a month later, allowing him to join the Patriots for their training camp in August.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-06-sp-5898-story.html "Craig James"], ''latimes.com'', October 6, 1985.</ref>

===New England Patriots===
In James' first year with the Patriots in the [[1984 NFL season|1984 season]], he was initially a backup to [[Tony Collins (American football)|Tony Collins]] under his old coach Meyer.  When Meyer was fired after a 5–3 start to the season, new coach [[Raymond Berry]] made James the starting running back, and James finished the year as the Patriots' leading rusher with 790 yards.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5wpZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y1kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3305%2C2215165 "Patriots' Craig James Proves He's Not Slow, After All"], ''google.com''.</ref>

[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 35 - Craig James (Craig James crop).jpg|thumb|right|Craig James (''left'') rushes the ball past the Dolphins' defense in the 1985–86 AFC Championship game.]]
In the [[1985 NFL season|1985 season]], James started at running back all season, rushing for 1,227 yards, and was selected for the [[Pro Bowl]]. He was the last white player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season until [[Peyton Hillis]] reached that mark in [[2010 NFL season|2010]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080926 | title=Whatever happened to the white tailback? |work=[[ESPN.com]] | first=Jemele | last=Hill |author-link=Jemele Hill |date=September 26, 2008 | access-date=September 28, 2008}}</ref> In Week 2 against the [[Chicago Bears]], he caught a 90-yard touchdown pass from [[Tony Eason]], which was the longest touchdown from scrimmage in Patriots history at the time. He was a major factor in the Patriots' 31&ndash;14 upset win over the [[1985 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]] in the AFC title game, rushing for a career postseason high of 105 yards. However, he was dominated by the [[1985 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears']] defense in [[Super Bowl XX]], which held him to only one yard on five carries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XX - Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots - January 26th, 1986 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198601260chi.htm |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

James struggled to continue his Pro Bowl form in the [[1986 NFL season|1986 season]], finishing with just 427 yards on 154 carries. At the end of the year, he had surgery to repair his right shoulder after suffering from recurrent dislocations during the year.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4T9WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4ukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3222%2C2574944 ''google.com''].</ref> James returned for the start of the [[1987 NFL season|1987 season]], but got just three carries in the first two games before being shut down with another shoulder injury.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oalJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Vw4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=5394,434922&dq=craig+james+patriots&hl=en "Pats' Mistakes, Injuries Doomed Bright Outlook" Bangor Daily News - Dec 30, 1987], via ''google.com''.</ref>

After gaining 15 yards on four carries and 14 catches for 171 yards in the first six games of the [[1988 NFL season|1988 season]], James suffered from posterior shoulder dislocations and underwent surgery in October, missing the remainder of the season.<ref>[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/10/26/new-england-patriots-43/ "Craig James underwent surgery on both shoulders and will be out the remainder of the season"], ''orlandosentinel.com'', October 26, 1988.</ref> He retired from the NFL after the 1988 season, having rushed for 2,469 yards and eleven touchdowns in his five seasons with the Patriots. He also had 819 receiving yards and two touchdown catches, and completed three of six pass attempts, with all three completions going for touchdowns.

In 2009, James was included in the [[New England Patriots#1980s|New England Patriots All-1980s team]] that was selected by local media and team figures to commemorate the team's 50th anniversary.<ref name="2009PatsAllDecadeTeams">{{cite news|title=Patriots All-Decade teams announced|url=https://www.patriots.com/news/patriots-all-decade-teams-announced-142906|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|website=Patriots.com|date=March 31, 2009|access-date=Jul 16, 2022|archive-date=August 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805215814/https://www.patriots.com/news/patriots-all-decade-teams-announced-142906|url-status=live}}</ref>

==NFL career statistics==
===Regular season===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="2"| Games
! colspan="7"| Rushing
! colspan="7"| Receiving
|-
! GP !! GS !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! A/G !! Y/G !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! R/G !! Y/G 
|-
! [[1984 NFL season|1984]] || [[1984 New England Patriots season|NE]]
| 15 || 7 || 160 || 790 || '''4.9''' || '''73''' || 1 || 10.7 || 52.7 || 22 || 159 || 7.2 || 16 || 0 || 1.5 || 10.6 
|-
! [[1985 NFL season|1985]] || [[1985 New England Patriots season|NE]]
| '''16''' || '''14''' || '''263''' || '''1,227''' || 4.7 || 65 ||''' 5''' || '''16.4''' || '''76.7''' || '''27''' || '''360''' || '''13.3''' || '''90''' || '''2''' || 1.7 || 22.5 
|-
! [[1986 NFL season|1986]] || [[1986 New England Patriots season|NE]]
| 13 || 12 || 154 || 427 || 2.8 || 16 || 4 || 11.8 || 32.8 || 18 || 129 || 7.2 || 17 || 0 || 1.4 || 9.9 
|-
! [[1987 NFL season|1987]] || [[1987 New England Patriots season|NE]]
| 2 || 0 || 4 || 10 || 2.5 || 5 || 0 || 2.0 || 5.0 || — || — || — || — || 0 || — || —
|-
! [[1988 NFL season|1988]] || [[1988 New England Patriots season|NE]]
| 6 || 0 || 4 || 15 || 3.8 || 8 || 1 || 0.7 || 2.5 || 14  || 171 || 12.2  || 32 || 0 || '''2.3''' || '''28.5'''
|-
! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JameCr00.htm Career] !! 52 !! 33 !! 585 !! 2,469 !! 4.2 !! 73 !! 11 !! 11.3 !! 47.5 !! 81 !! 819 !! 10.1  !! 90  !! 2 !! 1.6 !! 15.8
|}

===Postseason===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="2"| Games
! colspan="7"| Rushing
! colspan="7"| Receiving
|-
! GP !! GS !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! A/G !! Y/G !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! R/G !! Y/G 
|-
! [[1985 NFL season|1985]] || [[1985 New England Patriots season|NE]]
| '''4''' || '''4''' || '''72''' || '''259''' || '''3.6''' || 16 || '''1''' || '''18.0''' || '''64.8''' || '''6''' || '''90''' || '''15.0''' || '''24''' || 0 || '''1.5''' || '''22.5'''
|-
! [[1986 NFL season|1986]] || [[1986 New England Patriots season|NE]]
| 1 || 0 || 10 || 31 || 3.1 || '''17''' || 0 || 10.0 || 31.0 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – 
|-
! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JameCr00.htm Career] !! 5 !! 4 !! 82 !! 290 !! 3.5 !! 17 !! 1 !! 16.4 !! 58.0 !! 6 !! 90 !! 15.0  !! 24  !! 0 !! 1.5 !! 22.5
|}

==Radio and television career==
After his retirement from play in 1989, James went on to become a radio analyst for SMU college football games, then was the sports anchor for [[KDFW|KDFW-TV]]. During this time, he also appeared on [[ESPN]] as a [[College Football on ESPN|studio analyst]] on the ''[[College GameDay (football)|College GameDay]]'' and ''[[College Football Scoreboard]]'' programs. James worked with [[Lee Corso]], who gave him the nickname "Mustang Breath". In 1996, James joined [[CBS Sports|CBS]], where he served as a studio analyst on ''[[SEC on CBS|College Football Today]]'' as well as ''[[The NFL Today]]'' programs before becoming a game analyst on ''[[NFL on CBS]]''. During his CBS stint, he served as a reporter during the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA men's basketball championship]] as well as the [[1998 Winter Olympics]]. In 2003, James moved to [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]]. He served as a studio analyst on the network's [[College Football on ABC|college football coverage]] through the 2008 season. James also appeared as an analyst on ESPN's [[ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime|Thursday-night package]] as well as other [[College Football on ESPN|college football programs]] such as ''[[College Football Live]]''. He then teamed with [[Mike Patrick]] and sideline reporter [[Heather Cox]] as game analyst for the 2009 season, working [[ESPN on ABC]] Saturday afternoon broadcasts, while still working the Thursday-night package. On December 19, 2011, James announced that he was leaving ESPN to run for the [[United States Senate]].<ref>{{cite news|title=College Football Analyst Craig James Leaves ESPN to Run for Senate|url=https://www.foxnews.com/sports/college-football-analyst-craig-james-leaves-espn-to-run-for-senate/|work=Fox News|publisher=FOX News Network, LLC.|access-date=April 4, 2012|date=December 19, 2011}}</ref>

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

James said in 1998 that the [[1998 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin Badgers]] were "the worst team to ever play in the [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]]," but Wisconsin went on to defeat #6 [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA]] 38&ndash;31 in the [[1999 Rose Bowl]]. Afterward, Badgers coach [[Barry Alvarez]] fired back: "Well, I know we're at least the second worst."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jan-02-sp-59800-story.html | title=After Dayne Runs Them Over, They Beat Themselves Up - UCLA Conquered and Divided After Rose Bowl Defeat | first=Scott | last=Howard-Cooper | date=January 2, 1999 | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | access-date=April 4, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/02/sports/college-football-rose-bowl-badgers-prove-doubters-wrong.html | title=COLLEGE FOOTBALL: ROSE BOWL; Badgers Prove Doubters Wrong | first=Ken | last=Gurnick | date=January 2, 1999 | work=[[The New York Times]] | access-date=April 4, 2009}}</ref>

James is a voter in the [[AP Poll|AP college football poll]], and has received some attention and criticism for his reported tendency to award low votes to teams from outside the [[Automatic Qualifying conference|Power Five conference]]s, such as [[Boise State Broncos football|Boise State]] and [[TCU Horned Frogs football|TCU]].<ref>[http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/11/29/ccripe/ap_craig_james_controversial_boise_state_vote_we_have_no_reason_#ixzz1f8kTs7kB "AP on Craig James' controversial Boise State vote: 'We have no reason to step in'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120720165621/http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/11/29/ccripe/ap_craig_james_controversial_boise_state_vote_we_have_no_reason_%23ixzz1f8kTs7kB |date=July 20, 2012 }}. ''[[Idaho Statesman]]'', November 29, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2011/11/29/craig-james-is-not-a-boise-state-broncos-fan/ "Craig James Is Not A Boise State Fan"]. ''[[The Big Lead]]'', November 29, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011.</ref>

On August 30, 2013, [[Fox Sports Southwest]] announced that it had hired James as a college football analyst and co-host of the network's college football studio show.<ref>{{cite news |title=James returning to sports TV on Fox Sports Southwest |url=http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2013/08/james-returning-to-sports-tv-on-fox-sports-southwest/ |publisher=Houston Chronicle |access-date=September 3, 2013 |archive-date=September 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904193002/http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2013/08/james-returning-to-sports-tv-on-fox-sports-southwest/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> On September 2, after only one appearance, the network abruptly cut ties with James before he had formally signed a contract. Reportedly, Fox Sports officials were displeased that James' hire had not been vetted.<ref>{{cite news |title=Craig James out at Fox Sports Southwest after one appearance |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130902/craig-james-will-not-return-to-fox-sports-southwest/#ixzz2drk4cUnT |publisher=Sports Illustrated |date=September 2, 2013 |access-date=September 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905112332/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130902/craig-james-will-not-return-to-fox-sports-southwest/#ixzz2drk4cUnT |archive-date=September 5, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Additionally, ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'' reported that Fox Sports officials were upset with statements against same-sex marriage that James had made during his Senate run.<ref name=FSNOuster>[http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/2013/09/craig-james-anti-gay-stance-during-political-campaign-reason-for-his-quick-exit-from-fssw-college-football-duties.html Craig James’ anti-gay stance during political campaign reason for his quick exit from FOX Sports SW] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909212045/http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/2013/09/craig-james-anti-gay-stance-during-political-campaign-reason-for-his-quick-exit-from-fssw-college-football-duties.html/ |date=September 9, 2013 }}, ''[[Dallas Morning News]]'', September 13, 2013.</ref> On February 25, 2014, the [[First Liberty Institute]] filed suit on James' behalf against Fox, claiming that he was fired for his religious beliefs.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/liberty-institute-fox-sports-now-claims-it-lied-to-media-about-craig-james-firing-247152721.html|title=Liberty Institute: Fox Sports Now Claims It Lied To Media About Craig James' Firing|first=Liberty|last=Institute|website=www.prnewswire.com}}</ref> Also in 2014, James joined the [[Family Research Council]] as assistant to president [[Tony Perkins (politician)|Tony Perkins]], intending to "fight the kind of 'religious bigotry' [James] blames for his firing by Fox."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140410150902/http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/religion-news-in-brief/2014/04/09/735ce6b6-c001-11e3-9ee7-02c1e10a03f0_story.html "Religion news in brief"], Associated Press via Washington ''Post'', April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2014.</ref>

==Texas Tech controversy==
James' son Adam was the center of a controversy that resulted in Texas Tech suspending, and later firing, head football coach [[Mike Leach (American football coach)|Mike Leach]] shortly before the [[2010 Alamo Bowl (January)|2010 Alamo Bowl]]. Leach had allegedly forced Adam to stand in a shed for two hours during practice on two occasions. In response, Adam went to university chancellor [[Kent Hance]] and members of the board of trustees with his accusations. In light of the allegations, ESPN removed Craig James from announcing the Alamo Bowl, replacing him with [[Bob Davie (American football)|Bob Davie]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-tech-university-football-coach-mike-leach-alamo/story?id=9441813|title=Coach Mike Leach, Suspended After Claims of Abuse, Wants to Play in Bowl |last=Friedman|first=Emily|date=December 29, 2009|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=December 30, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Leach suspended after player complaint | url = https://www.espn.com/college-football/bowls09/news/story?id=4776848 | work = [[ESPN.com]] | date = December 28, 2009| access-date = December 28, 2009 |first=Joe |last=Schad}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Texas Tech fires Leach | url = https://www.espn.com/college-football/bowls09/news/story?id=4781981
 | work = ESPN.com | date = December 30, 2009| access-date = December 30, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Texas Tech Fires Coach Mike Leach |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/sports/ncaafootball/31leach.html |work=The New York Times | date=December 30, 2009 | first1=Thayer | last1=Evans | first2=Pete | last2=Thamel |author-link=Pete Thamel | access-date=April 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Texas Tech suspends Mike Leach after player complains about treatment |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2009/12/texas-tech-suspends-mike-leach-after-player-complains-about-treatment/1 |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=December 28, 2009 |access-date=July 15, 2011 |last=Smith |first=Erick }}</ref> In a lawsuit filed by Leach against Texas Tech, he alleges that Adam "voluntarily placed himself into the electrical closet and apparently took pictures with his phone camera." In response, James stated, "Since the James family is not a party to the lawsuit, we deem it inappropriate to discuss it."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=4828405|title=Suit alleges phone calls by James' father|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=January 15, 2010|access-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref>

Leach later filed suit against James and others for defamation and wrongful termination related to the publicity surrounding the incident.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2011/01/01/leach-would-bring-much-promise-but-also-reason-for-pause/ |title=Leach would bring much promise but also reason for pause |date=January 1, 2011 |first=Don |last=Markus |newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |access-date=July 15, 2011}}</ref> In August 2013, Leach's claims were dismissed on [[summary judgment]].<ref>{{cite news | last=Fornelli | first=Tom | title= Judge rules against Mike Leach in lawsuit against ESPN, Craig James | date=August 9, 2013 | url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/judge-rules-against-mike-leach-in-lawsuit-against-espn-craig-james | work=cbssports.com }}</ref>

==Politics==
In an interview with [[WFAA|WFAA-TV]] in Dallas, James revealed that he was interested in getting involved in politics as a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. James is a self-described conservative and stated that government intervention in business and health care were his main concerns. He founded a political group called Texans for a Better America.<ref>{{cite web|url =http://texansforabetteramerica.org|title=Texans for a Better America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127014852/http://texansforabetteramerica.org/about|archive-date=January 27, 2012|access-date=April 29, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===2012 run for U.S. Senate===
On December 19, 2011, James announced that he would run for the [[United States Senate]] as a Republican in [[United States Senate election in Texas, 2012|2012]] for the seat being vacated by [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]].<ref name="senate12192011"/> [[Public Policy Polling]] found during the race that "as Craig James has become better known he's just gotten more and more unpopular."<ref>[http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/05/dewhurst-close-to-50.html "dewhurst-close-to-50"], ''publicpolicypolling.com'', 2012/05.</ref> During a 2012 debate, James upbraided former Dallas mayor [[Tom Leppert]] for attending a gay pride parade, and declared that gays would eventually "answer to the Lord for their actions."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://keranews.org/post/craig-james-being-gay-choice|title=Craig James: Being Gay A Choice|last=Lofler|first=Shelley|publisher=[[KERA-FM]]|date=February 22, 2012}}</ref> Those and other controversial statements subsequently cost him his job at Fox Sports Southwest.<ref name=FSNOuster/> On May 29, 2012, he finished a distant fourth out of nine candidates in the Republican primary with 3.6% of the vote.<ref name="2012 Republican Party Primary"/><ref>[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/05/craig-james-senate-race-ends-republican-primary-/1#.UqOt6PRDuCk "Craig James falls short in run for U.S. Senate seat in Texas"], ''usatoday.com'', 2012/05.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071121020818/http://cbs.sportsline.com/cbssports/team/cjames CBS SportsLine profile]
* {{Footballstats |nfl=Craig-James|cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=J/JameCr00 |rotoworld= }}

{{Patriots1983DraftPicks}}
{{Patriots1980s}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Craig}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:American football running backs]]
[[Category:American television sports announcers]]
[[Category:College football announcers]]
[[Category:NFL announcers]]
[[Category:New England Patriots players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Plano, Texas]]
[[Category:SMU Mustangs football players]]
[[Category:Texas Republicans]]
[[Category:Washington Federals/Orlando Renegades players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Jacksonville, Texas]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Houston]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Cherokee County, Texas]]