James was a 2002 first-team All-American at linebacker, and he was named a 2002 National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation.

He was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and for the Lombardi Award, and he was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection.

James, who set the LSU record for most tackles in a season (154) in 2002, played in the NFL for 10 years with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texas. He established Foundation 56, a charitable organization which raises funds for the fight against breast cancer.