Florida Gators

CAREER: Appeared in 50 games with seven starts… Owns four SEC and 11 Florida records for kickoff and punt returns… SEC marks include most career kickoff returns (112), career kickoff return yardage (2,718), single-season kickoff average per return (28.0, 2007), most total kick returns in a career (229) and most total kick return yardage in a career (4,089)… School records include, but not limited to, career kick return yardage (2,718), career punt return yardage (1,371), punt return touchdowns (four) and most punt returns (117)… Also tallied 379 yards on 43 career receptions (8.8 avg.) with two touchdowns and 379 rushing yards on 61 carries (5.0 avg.) and two scores in his career… Is one of only two Gators in school history to run a punt and kickoff back for a TD, joining Harvin Clark… While active, his five career touchdown returns (four punt and one kickoff ) ranked third among active players in the NCAA, just three shy of Clemson’s C.J. Spiller and two behind Alabama’s Javier Arenas… HONORS: 2009 Second-Team All-SEC KR (Phil Steele)… 2008 First-Team All-SEC (Coaches’), 2008 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, 2008 AP Honorable Mention All-SEC – All-purpose, 2008 FWAA All-American – Special Teams, Sporting News’ First-Team All-American – Punt Return… 2009: Saw action in 13 games, missing the Sugar Bowl with an injury, and tallied two starts at wide receiver… Led the Gators in all-purpose yards eight of the 14 games… Tied for fourth on the team in receptions (24) and was fifth in receiving yards (215)… Averaged 26.1 yards per kick return and 7.4 yards per punt return… Had a team-leading 108 all-purpose yards in the first half of the SEC Championship Game versus Alabama before being sidelined with an injury… Tallied one nine-yard reception, a nine-yard rush, one 12-yard punt return and three kick returns for 78 yards against the Crimson Tide… Tallied 89 all-purpose yards in his final home game versus Florida State, collecting 20 yards on three receptions, 49 yards on two kick returns and 20 yards on three punt returns...Led the team with 154 all-purpose yards in the win over South Carolina, including 85 yards on punt return, 44 on kick return, 24 yards receiving and one rushing yard… With his 44 kick return yards against the Gamecocks, he became the SEC’s all-time leader in kickoff return yardage with 2,538 on 105 returns… Accounted for 128 all-purpose yards against Vanderbilt after tying a career-high with four receptions for 44 yards and rushing twice for 18 yards, while amassing 45 yard in kickoff returns and 21 in punt returns… Rallied for 61 all-purpose yards against Georgia, including 19 on kick return and 31 on two punt returns… Had a season-high 20-yard punt return in the second quarter… Tallied 81 yards on four kickoffs, his longest being 29 yards, while setting a season-long after returning the first punt of the game for 16 yards… His 27 kick return yards on the opening kickoff against Kentucky propelled him to be the SEC record holder for career kick and punt return yardage with 3,381 yards… Tallied his eighth kick return for 50 or more yards with a 50-yard return to start the game versus Tennessee… Had a career day as wide receiver, totaling 49 yards on three catches, including a 32-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow in the third quarter against Troy… Had one carry for 25 yards in the season opener versus Charleston Southern, while also scoring his first kickoff return touchdown on a career-long 85-yard return… The score was the first kickoff return TD since 1999 and only the 10th in school history… 2008: Played in all 14 games for the Gators, including four starts at running back… Named a 2008 All-American by the FWAA… Named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year… Garnered First-Team All-American accolades by Sporting News and Phil Steele… An All-SEC selection by vote of the league’s head coaches… Also received All-American honorable mention honors from Pro Football Weekly… Returned 37 punts for 510 yards (13.8 average) and two touchdowns… Racked up 738 yards on 32 kickoff returns (23.1 average)… Also recorded 59 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and 95 yards receiving, catching his first career receiving touchdown… Helped lead Florida to its second national title in three years and its eighth SEC Championship… Set an SEC Championship Game record with five kickoff returns for 121 yards in the win over the Alabama Crimson Tide… Was one of seven players in the country to return two or more punts for touchdowns in 2008… Was one of only three players in the nation to have two punt returns for touchdowns as well as at least one receiving and one rushing touchdown… Tabbed the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week twice (Hawaii & Tennessee) after scoring on 74 and 78-yard punt returns, respectively… His 78-yard punt return against Tennessee tallied the fourth of his career, tying Jacquez Green’s UF record for punt returns for a touchdown… Caught the first receiving touchdown of his career against Arkansas on a two-yard pass from Tim Tebow… Finished the season third in the country for punt return yards per game (29.7) and is second on the NCAA active career leaders list with four punt returns for touchdowns… 2007: Returned kickoffs and punts… Saw action in 11 games (missing Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic)… .Started at running back vs. Auburn… .Second-team All-American by Sporting News and Rivals.com as a return specialist… Was named to the All-SEC second team by the league’s coaches and Associated Press as return specialist… First-team All-SEC by Rivals.com and Lindy’s… Led the SEC and ranked second in the nation with 18.1 yards per punt return… Ranked second in the SEC and 17th nationally with an average of 28.0 kickoff yards… Led the nation with seven returns of 50 or more yards… Set school record with 841 kick off return yards and posted second-best kickoff average in school history (28.0, 28.2 by Jack Jackson in 1993 is the record)… Matched fifth-longest return in school history with his career-long 83-yard punt return for a touchdown against Tennessee – the longest punt return in the SEC for the year… Had a total of 100 or more return yards in six of 11 games… Totaled 116 yards in returns, including two returns of 50 or more yards (one punt - 53 yards and one kickoff – 52 yards) in a 49-22 win over Vanderbilt… Rushed a career-high 10 times for a net gain of 49 yards in a 51-31 win at South Carolina… Returned five kickoffs (122 yards), one punt (three yards) and rushed for 26 yards to total 151 yards against Georgia… Returned a kickoff for a career-long 61 yards in a 45-37 win at Kentucky… Returned three punts and four kickoffs for a career-high 193 yards in a 59-20 win over Tennessee… Totaled 159 yards in punt and kickoff returns in his first action of 2007 against Troy, including a 59-yard kickoff return that set up the Gators’ second touchdown… Ran track in 2007, competing at SEC Outdoor Championships and running in the 100m prelim in 10.87 seconds to finish 23rd… 2006: Garnered honorable mention Freshman All-America status from The Sporting News… Earned a spot on the Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC squad… Was chosen as a first-team Freshman All-American by Rivals.com, joining Percy Harvin on the list… Had 33 punt returns on the season for 363 yards (11.0 avg.) and one touchdown and had 21 kickoff returns for 383 yards (18.2 avg.)… Ranked fifth in the SEC with an 11.0-yard punt return average and was eighth in kickoff return average… 370 punt return yards for the season was second best in school history… Established a single-game school record with 155 punt return yards on six returns against Western Carolina… Had a 77-yard punt return for a TD against the Catamounts, the first Gator punt returned for a score since Lito Sheppard had a 57-yarder versus South Carolina on Nov. 11, 2000… Made four punt returns for 28 yards, with a long of 11 yards and had a 33-yard kickoff return the first time he touched the ball against Ohio State in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game… Opened the game with a career-long 38-yard kickoff return against Georgia… Totaled 37 yards on two kickoff returns against Alabama, and his 30-yard return was the longest by a Florida player last season at that time… Had his first collegiate carry and gained four yards in the matchup with the Tide… Recorded four punt returns at Tennessee for a total of 65 yards and a long of 35… The 35-yard return was the longest by a UF player since Keiwan Ratliff’s 38-yard return against Ohio in 2002 and the second-longest by a Gator since 1996 against a top-25 team (Lito Sheppard, 57 yards, 11/11/2000)… Made collegiate debut on special teams against UCF and returned the second-half kickoff 30 yards… PREP: Ran for 900 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior at St. Augustine High School en route to leading the school to its first-ever Class 3A state championship… Was a team captain on that state championship squad… Also returned kicks and punts during his prep career… Earned first-team all-county (St. Johns) and first team all-conference honors as a senior… Chose Florida over Auburn, Louisville, Penn State and South Carolina… PERSONAL: Was born Dec. 21, 1987… MAJOR: Sociology

CAREER RUSHING STATISTICS

Year    No.    Yds    Avg.   TDs Long

2006     3       1      0.3       0       4

2007    24    133    5.5       0      14

2008    14     59     4.2       2      13

2009    20    109    5.4       0      25

Totals: 61    302    5.0       2      25

CAREER RECEIVING STATISTICS

Year    No.    Yds    Avg.   TDs Long

2007     8      69     8.6       0      26

2008    11     95     8.6       1      22

2009    24    215    9.0       1      32

Totals: 43    379    8.8       2      32

CAREER  KICK RETURN STATISTICS

Year    No.    Yds    Avg.   TDs Long

2006    21    383   18.2      0      38

2007    30    841   28.0      0      61

2008    32    738   23.1      0      52

2009    29    756   26.1      1      85

Totals: 112  2,718  24.3      1      85

CAREER PUNT RETURN STATS

Year    No.    Yds    Avg.   TDs Long

2006    33    363   11.0      1      77

2007    14    254   18.1      1      83

2008    37    510   13.8      2      78

2009    33    244    7.4       0      49

Totals: 117 1,371 11.7     4      83

JAMES’ CAREER HIGHS

Rushing Attempts: 10 (South Carolina, 2007)

Rushing Yards: 49 (South Carolina, 2007)

Rushing TDs: 1 (2x, last Kentucky, 2008)

Longest Rush: 25 (Charleston Southern, 2009)

Receptions: 4 (3x, last vs. FIU, 2009)

Receiving Yards: 49 (Troy, 2009)

Receiving TDs: 1 (2x, last vs. Troy, 2009)

Longest Reception: 32 (Troy, 2009)

Punt Returns: 6 (2x, last South Carolina, 2008)

Punt Return Yardage: 155 (Western Carolina, 2006)

Longest Punt Return: 83 (Tennessee, 2007)

Kickoff Returns: 4 (3x, last vs. Mississippi State, 2009)

Kickoff Return Yardage: 127 (Troy, 2007)

Longest Kickoff Return: 66 (Kentucky, 2007)

Profile

?    Lived with his grandmother before arriving at UF

?    His father, Brian James, played football at Samford University from 1988-92

What They’re Saying About Brandon James

"When he has the ball, people hold their breath. He's electric, he's fast, he's quick.” (10/15/09)

Emmanuel Moody, UF running back

“He's obviously got great speed and great moves, and it's going to take those nine or 10 guys who get down the field on punt coverage to get him down because you can have 10 guys around him, and he can still slip out.'' (9/18/09)

Wes Brown, Tennessee defensive tackle

"I think (James) is phenomenal. I don't know what his real track time was - it's got to be somewhere in the 10.2 (second) range. As soon as you give him any crease at all, he's gone. There are guys that can run fast track times and guys that can carry it over to football, and he's one of those guys. I don't think there's another guy like him, except for Devin Hester." (9/17/09)

Lane Kiffin, Tennessee Head Coach

“It's a big honor. I’ve had some ups and downs since I've been here, and I kind of made my way through them and it lets me know the team respects me a lot.'' (9/4/09)

Brandon James on being voted captain by teammates

"As one of the 20 most indispensable college football players, his ability to change momentum forces opponents into a dilemma: kick away and lose field position or take chances on returns." (10/8/08)

Matt Hayes, The Sporting News

“I look at this nut … the kid is this big [arm extended about five feet high] and he starts doing the Gator chomp. That kid was not intimidated so I grabbed him and told him he would be the punt returner. That’s when the decision was made.” (9/15/08)

Urban Meyer, UF Head Coach on the decision to start Brandon James versus Tennessee in 2006

“I think the best first step in college football is Percy Harvin. The guy right behind him is Brandon James. He’s reckless. He’s a north and south guy and that is what makes him such a dynamic returner.” (9/15/08)

Urban Meyer, UF Head Coach

“He’s never intimidated. He’s never scared of bigger guys. He never flinches. He’s just always out there focused and so good under pressure it’s unbelievable.” (9/1/08)

Tim Tebow, UF Quarterback

“You can talk about Percy (Harvin), you can talk about (Tim) Tebow and (Brandon) Spikes and all that, but I’m not sure there’s a more valuable player on the team than Brandon James.” (11/5/07)

Urban Meyer, UF head coach

“We consider special teams to be a big factor in the game. I just try to change the game anytime I get the ball to make a big play for the team. Everyone is disappointed if we don’t get a big return.” (11/4/07)

Brandon James

"Every time he gets the ball in his hands, you've just got to hold your breath. He's just a creative player. When he gets the ball, he's like an artist putting his pen on the pad. You just never know what you're going to get."(9/12/07)

Dustin Doe, UF Linebacker

"Everybody [watches James]. Our trainers, they look up to see what he's going to do. He's one of the most explosive, dynamic players in the country. Any time he touches the ball, he's got a chance to go to the house." (9/12/07)

Tim Tebow, UF Quarterback

“He’s a very aggressive returner. You talk about the ‘it’ at certain positions, he’s got ‘it.’ When he hits it, he hits it and he’s got great speed. Our guys like blocking for him and he’s a dynamic returner, one of the best ones out there.” (9/9/2007)

Urban Meyer, UF head coach

"My whole career pretty much, people have been telling me, 'You're not going to be able to play at a big college because of your size. I just used it as motivation, used it as an edge to try to get better each day… Everyone has their opinion of you, but at the end of the day you're the only one who can judge yourself." (9/19/06)

Brandon James

“It was my dream from day one to be in college games and atmospheres like (Tennessee). From day one, Coach Meyer said he was going to give me the opportunity to return the ball so I felt like I had to come in and prove myself to him and live up to those expectations. It is about blocking by your teammates and a good scheme by your coaches. We worked hard every day in practice to get here.” (9/18/06)

Brandon James

"He's a tough nut, that's a very professional player. He's very professional, everything he does he does it the right way. He loves the game of football." (8/12/06)

Urban Meyer, UF Head Coach