Craig James (running back)
A versatile NFL running back who later traded the end zone for the broadcast booth and a surprising run for the U.S. Senate.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American football player and broadcaster·Birthday: January 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Craig James first made his name as part of the legendary 'Pony Express' backfield at Southern Methodist University, a high-flying act that captured the national spotlight. Drafted by the New England Patriots, he became a reliable and versatile professional, known for his pass-catching ability as much as his rushing. After a stint in the upstart USFL, he smoothly transitioned to television, becoming a familiar face on ESPN and ABC as a college football analyst. His confident, sometimes blunt commentary style made him a polarizing figure. In a dramatic career pivot, he leveraged his Texas fame to launch a Republican campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2012, a bid that ended in the primary but cemented his identity as a sports figure unafraid to step into the political arena.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Craig was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Craig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Craig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Gained over 1,200 all-purpose yards and helped lead the New England Patriots to Super Bowl XX in the 1985 season.
- Formed one half of SMU's famed 'Pony Express' backfield with Eric Dickerson, leading the team to consecutive Southwest Conference titles.
- Served as a primary college football game analyst and studio commentator for ESPN and ABC for over a decade.
- Ran as a candidate in the 2012 Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat from Texas.
Did You Know?
He and Eric Dickerson both rushed for over 1,600 yards for SMU in the 1982 season.
He was involved in a much-publicized on-air controversy with colleague Jon Gruden during a 2011 broadcast.
His son, Adam James, played football at Texas Tech and was at the center of the coaching controversy involving Mike Leach.
He was a color commentator for the first-ever broadcast of the Arena Football League on ESPN in 1987.
“We weren't just a backfield; we were an event that changed the game.”
