Lionel James


Lionel "Little Train" James is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League.

Career

He was selected by the Chargers in the fifth round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Undersized at and, James played college football for the Auburn Tigers, where he shared the backfield with Bo Jackson. James would be a part of the 1983 Southeast Conference champion and Sugar Bowl champion team. He spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Chargers from 1984-1988. His best year as a pro came during the 1985 season when he set the then-NFL season records for receiving yards by a running back and all-purpose yardage. He also led the AFC in receptions that year.
In 1985, James set the NFL record for all purpose yards in a season with 2,535 yards. He also set the record for receiving yards by a running back with 1,027 yards, while also leading the AFC in receptions with 86. On November 10, 1985, he had his best day as a pro versus the Los Angeles Raiders. He gained 345 all-purpose yards including a career best 168 yards receiving and scored the winning touchdown in a 40–34 overtime victory. The total yardage was second at the time only to the 373 yards by Billy Cannon in 1961, and remains a Chargers franchise record. He might have broken the record in an earlier game that season against the Cincinnati Bengals except for a Chargers penalty that cost him 89 yards of a 100-yard kickoff return. James finished that game with 316 yards.
James record for receiving yards by a running back was broken by Marshall Faulk in 1999, and his all purpose yardage record was eclipsed in 2000 by Derrick Mason.