National Football Foundation

A Butkus Award candidate as one of the top linebackers in the nation, Bradie James is a team leader on the field, in the classroom and representing the team in the community.

A member of the Dean's List, James earned Academic All-Southeastern Conference Honor Roll recognition in 2001. A criminology major, he plans to graduate in the spring of 2003 as the team's top scholar-athlete. 

Rated the nation's second-best inside linebacker by The Sporting News prior to the 2002 season, James has posted two straight 100+ tackle seasons. Named the 2000 Peach Bowl Defensive MVP, he earned All-Conference First Team honors in 2001 and Second Team honors in 2000. Through seven games in the 2002 season, James has recorded 83 tackles, ranking him second in the SEC this season and second all-time on the LSU career tackles list (347). The 2002 team Captain, he has also recorded 28 tackles-for-a-loss and 13 sacks in his illustrious career. 

Regarded as the team spokesman because of his numerous speaking engagements at local area elementary and high schools, James is a peer intervention leader for the LSU football team and regularly visits sick children at local hospitals. He was selected in the fourth round (103rd overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and played primarily on special teams in his first two seasons, leading the team with 24 special teams tackles in 2004. 

James was the first player to lead the Cowboys in tackles for more than three straight seasons, eventually reaching a total of six consecutive seasons, the longest streak in franchise history. He also had a streak of 5 straight seasons with at least 100 tackles, that ended after the 2010 season. Following the 2011 season, James was the sixth leading tackler in franchise history. He signed with the Houston Texans for the 2012 season and played one season with the Texans before retiring with the Cowboys in 2014. James finished his career with 821 total tackles, 16 sacks, 10 forced fumbles and two interceptions.

James established Foundation 56 as a breast cancer outreach program dedicated to providing access to quality services and resources for breast cancer patients and survivors.