Lionel James
James with the San Diego Chargers c. 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 26 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | May 25, 1962 Albany, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | February 25, 2022 (aged 59) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 171 lb (78 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Dougherty (Albany) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Auburn | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1984: 5th round, 118th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Lionel "Little Train" James (May 25, 1962 – February 25, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. Undersized at 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and 171 pounds (78 kg), he spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Chargers from 1984 to 1988. His best year as a pro came during the 1985 season, when he set then-NFL season records for receiving yards by a running back and all-purpose yardage. He also led the American Football Conference (AFC) in receptions that year.