Shemar James
Shemar James (born June 24, 2004) is an American professional football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and was selected by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
James attended the Faith Academy in Mobile, Alabama. As a junior, he recorded 70 tackles with 17 going for a loss, and seven sacks, while on offense he rushed for 268 yards and five touchdowns and made 35 receptions for 473 yards and eight touchdowns.[1] Coming out of high school, James was rated as a four-star recruit, the 2nd best linebacker, and the 18th overall prospect in the class of 2022.[2] James committed to play college football for the Florida Gators over Alabama.[3]
College career
As a freshman in 2022, James played in all 13 games earning four starts where he totaled 47 tackles with two going for a loss, two sacks, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble.[4] In the 2023 season opener, he tallied 13 tackles versus Utah.[5] Before Florida's week 9 matchup versus Georgia, James suffered a season-ending knee injury.[6][7] During the 2023 season, James notched 55 tackles with five and a half being for a loss, and a sack in eight games.[8] In the 2024 season James recorded his first interception against rival Miami.[9]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+3⁄8 in (1.86 m) |
222 lb (101 kg) |
31+1⁄2 in (0.80 m) |
8+1⁄2 in (0.22 m) |
4.69 s | 1.56 s | 4.27 s | 7.09 s | 32.0 in (0.81 m) |
9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) | |||
| All values from NFL Combine[10][11][12] | ||||||||||||
James was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 152nd pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft.[13]
References
- ^ Thomas, Ben (August 2, 2021). "Florida 4-star 2022 LB commit Shemar James leaving Faith Academy". AL.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Carroll, Brandon (June 10, 2022). "Gators 2022 Enrollee Profile: LB Shemar James". Florida Gators on SI. SI.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Rushin, Jerrell (December 15, 2021). "Four-star LB Shemar James of Faith Academy recommits, signs with Florida over Alabama". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Goodall, Zach (February 15, 2023). "Shemar James Grips Foundational Role With Billy Napier's Gators". Florida Gators on SI. SI.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Carroll, Brandon (September 15, 2023). "Gators Shemar James Highest Graded SEC Linebacker by PFF to Begin 2023". Florida Gators on SI. SI.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Brockway, Kevin (March 14, 2024). "Florida football LB Shemar James on mend, ready to become more vocal leader". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Brockway, Kevin. "Florida football LB Shemar James out for season after undergoing knee surgery". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Goodall, Zach (November 2023). "Florida LB Shemar James Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out for Season". Florida Gators on SI. SI.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Parker, Cam (August 14, 2024). "FINAL: Gators Drop a Doozy, Lose 41-17 to Rival Miami: 'It's Embarrassing'". Florida Gators on SI. SI.com. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Shemar James Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ "2025 NFL Combine Measurements by School: Heights, Weights, Hand Sizes, and More". CollegeFootballNetwork.com. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ "Shemar James College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ Walker, Patrik. "2025 NFL Draft: Shemar James to Cowboys as 5th-Round Pick". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved April 27, 2025.