Lionel James, who defied expectations by becoming a big-time NFL playmaker despite his small stature, has died at the age of 59.
Known as “Little Train,” James stood just 5-foot-6 and weighed 171 pounds, and as a result he slipped to the fifth round of the 1984 NFL draft. But he quickly made a significant impact, leading the NFL in kickoff return yards as a rookie.
And then in his second season, James took the NFL by storm: He set a new NFL record with 2,535 all-purpose yards, making a remarkable impact as a running back, receiver, kickoff returner and punt returner. James topped 1,000 receiving yards, 750 kickoff return yards and 500 rushing yards that season, something that had never been done before and has never been done since.
Although his career lasted only five years, he became an inspiration to smaller players, who saw a role model in James.
“You get to the point where you just say, ‘I’m going to prove to them I can do it,’” James was quoted as saying years…