Edgerrin James

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Edgerrin Tyree James (pronounced /EDGE-uh-rin/) (born August 1, 1978 in Immokalee, Florida), nicknamed “The Edge” or just “Edge”, is an American football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.

[edit] College career

James was recruited out of Florida's Immokalee High School by the University of Miami. He proved to be one of the most successful running backs in the school's history.

James ranked second in all-time University of Miami rushing yards. He was the only running back in the university's history to post two consecutive seasons with 1000-plus rushing yards, and he ranks first in school history with the most 100-plus rushing games (14). All single season records held by James have since been broken by current Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee.

[edit] NFL career

[edit] 1999 NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts selected James in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft with the fourth overall pick.

(* represents NFL Combine)

[edit] Indianapolis Colts

James signed a seven-year, $49 million rookie contract. Many critics believed that the Colts made a mistake by choosing James over the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. ^[2] James quieted the critics and was an immediate success, and was named the 1999 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. James won the NFL rushing title in his first two seasons, before tearing his ACL six games into the 2001 season. After the 2002 season, where James failed to regain his form of 1999 and 2000, many believed that James would never recover from his knee injury.^{[citation needed]} However, James rebounded well in 2003 and re-established his place as one of the top running backs in the NFL in 2004 and 2005, with over 1,500 rushing yards in both seasons.

James left Indianapolis as their all time leading rusher with 9,226 yards.

[edit] Arizona Cardinals

James signed a four-year deal with the Cardinals on March 12, 2006. With the Cardinals, James filled the shoes of former running back Emmitt Smith, a future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, who played for the Cardinals for two seasons during the twilight of his career.

[edit] NFL records

James led the league in rushing during his rookie and sophomore season. He's currently the record holder for most total yards from scrimmage per game in a regular season career.

At 9,226 total yards as a Colt, James holds the Colts' team record for most career total yards rushing.

As of 2006 game 5, James is #2 career average yards per game (100+ games) at 123, behind only Jim Brown (126). Similarly he is in the top 5 for career touchdowns per game.

During a Monday night game against the Bears on October 15 2006, James carried the ball 36 times for only 55 yards. This set an NFL record as the most carries for an average gain of under 2 yards. ^[3]

James is currently first in career rushing yards among active players. ^[4]

[edit] Personal

James currently resides in Miami, Florida. He is unmarried and has a son. James' younger cousin, Javarris James, is currently a sophomore running back for James' alma mater, the University of Miami. James established the Edgerrin James Foundation, a charity for underprivileged children and families. In 2000, he donated $250,000 to the University of Miami, which is the largest donation ever made to the university by one of its former athletes.

James appeared in the music video for Trick Daddy's songs Nann Nigga, Take It To Da House, and "Shut Up." He was also the spokesperson and cover athlete for ESPN NFL Primetime 2002.

Edgerrin James and teammate Matt Leinart are co-owners of one of the largest indoor go-cart tracks in Arizona. James and Leinart are both huge race fans, and were spotted together in Daytona for the 2007 Daytona 500. There is talk of the two Cardinals' players buying their own team for the 2009/10 race season. ^[5]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Edgerrin James at ESPN.com
• Edgerrin James Official Web Site.
• CNNSI.com Draft Video