Matt James was a superb athlete at Wake Forest University before becoming the Bachelor and a NYC real estate analyst. His football statistics are remarkable, and he even allowed himself a year to play in the NFL before settling into his current position. James started out as a cornerback but eventually moved back to safety where he played for four seasons.
He participated in three Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won one ring in 1969 over San Diego. After retiring from football, James went on to have a successful career as a security guard at Anheuser-Busch and also worked as a police officer. He died of cancer in 2014 at the age of 62.
James attended Winston-Salem State University for two years before transferring to Wake Forest. During his time at Wake Forest, he let it be known that he wanted to play pro football so he could make enough money to buy a car. He was given a full athletic scholarship because of his outstanding talent on defense and offense. As a freshman, he started six games at wide receiver and caught nine passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. As a sophomore, he started all twelve games at quarterback and led the Demon Deacons to an 8-4 record. He finished the season with 1,719 passing yards, eight touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 63 percent completion rate.
Matt was an excellent football player while attending Wake Forest University. He also had fairly outstanding football stats, which allowed him to play in the NFL for a year before deciding on his chosen path. His football career began at Wake Forest, where he was a wide receiver for four seasons. During that time, he caught 70 passes for 1120 yards and eight touchdowns.
He also returned kicks during his time at Wake Forest. In addition to that, he played in 15 games as a rookie linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons. He finished with 22 tackles and two sacks.
After ending his football career, he moved back home to North Carolina where he enrolled in law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated first in his class and was awarded the John W. Bardo Scholarship by the school. This award is given to one student in the law school who shows exceptional talent in trial advocacy.
Since graduating from law school, Matt has worked as a civil rights lawyer in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has also been involved in political campaigns, including serving as communications director for a candidate for governor in 1998. In 2014, he ran for Congress as a Democrat but lost in the primary election.
Currently, he writes about legal affairs on his blog, The Barrow Report, and acts as a legal analyst for NBC News.
He was a University of Miami football player. The Indianapolis Colts selected him fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. James also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks. In 1999, he was awarded the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was named to four Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams. James died in a car accident in January 2001 at age 26.
In high school, James attended American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida. As a freshman, he made an immediate impact for the Hurricanes by rushing for 756 yards and nine touchdowns. As a sophomore, he helped lead his team to a 12-1 record and its first National Championship. The #1 ranked Canes lost to Maryland 31-24 in the Fiesta Bowl.
James returned as a junior and led the team to another undefeated season (10-0) and back-to-back Coastal Division titles. As a senior, he ran for 1,977 yards and 22 touchdowns while adding three interceptions and 908 yards and 10 scores on kickoff returns. The Hurricanes finished the 2000 season ranked #3.
After graduating from Miami, James went on to have a very successful career in the NFL. He played eight seasons and started every game during that period. He rushed for over 1,000 yards five times and scored 15 or more touchdowns three times. He earned a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot in 2015.
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