James Stewart (American football)

James Stewart

No. 33, 34
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Date of birth:	December 27, 1971
Place of birth:	Fairfield, Texas
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	224 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	Morristown (TN) West
College:	Tennessee
NFL draft:	1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 19
Career history
Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–1999) Detroit Lions (2000–2003)
Career highlights and awards
Ed Block Courage Award (1999)
Career NFL statistics
Touchdowns: 48 Carries: 1,478 Yards: 5,841 Player stats at NFL.com

James Ottis Stewart (born December 27, 1971) is a retired American football running back who played nine seasons in the National Football League from 1995-2003.

Stewart played football at his high school of Morristown West High School. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and in 1995, he was the second pick of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars' selections in the first round of the NFL Draft (selected 19th overall).

• 1991: 190 carries for 939 yards with 8 TD. 18 catches for 106 yards.
• 1992: 85 carries for 386 yards with 7 TD. 7 catches for 121 yards with 1 TD.
• 1993: 86 carries for 537 yards with 9 TD. 12 catches for 89 yards.
• 1994: 170 carries for 1028 yards with 11 TD. 17 catches for 147 yards with 3 TD.

Stewart played solidly for the Jaguars, and still holds the franchise record for the most points in a single game (30). He also holds the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise record for the most touchdowns in a game with 5 rushing touchdowns. Both these records were obtained on October 12, 1997 against the Philadelphia Eagles.^[1]

Stewart became a free agent and signed with the Detroit Lions prior to the 2000 season. In his first year playing for the Lions, Stewart rushed for a career high 1,184 yards and 10 touchdowns. 2 years later, he had another 1,000-plus yard season (1,021). However, he was injured and did not play in 2003, and never played again due to injuries. According to Coy Wire, Stewart's injury occurred because of a bounty system established by then Buffalo Bills head coach Gregg Williams. Coy Wire stated "I shattered James Stewart's shoulder and he never played again. I was showered with praise for that. It's a shame that's how it was. Now I see how wrong that was." (Buffalo News (3/4/2012).

Stewart wore number 33 while playing at the University of Tennessee and while playing for the Jaguars. He wore number 34 while playing for the Lions.

Notes and references

1. Jaguars Records