On September 5, 1995, Richard Rhondel “Richie” James Jr., a wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League, was born. He played collegiate football at Middle Tennessee.
James attended Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida. In addition to playing football and getting a letter, he dabbled in track and won multiple state titles.
In December 2013, James made a commitment to play football with the Georgia Southern Eagles, however, he later changed his mind due to a coaching change. In January 2014, he made a decision to play football with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, and in February of that year, he signed.
In 2014, James decided to redshirt rather than play as a true freshman. James participated in all 13 of Middle Tennessee’s games in 2015 as a redshirt freshman, catching 108 passes for 1,346 yards and eight touchdowns.
On 12 attempts, he also gained 146 yards and a touchdown while running. He was selected for both the 2015 C-USA All-Freshman Team and the 2015 C-USA All-Conference First Team.
The San Francisco 49ers selected James with the 240th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He made his first NFL reception in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, going for seven yards.