Nicknamed "The Beast" by teammates for his reckless abandon on the football field, James finally got an opportunity to start as a senior and did not disappoint. He helped the team improve from being ranked 51st in the nation in total defense (327.85 ypg) in 2006 to 30th nationally in 2007 (345.15). He led the team in tackles with a career-high 106 during his final campaign, earning All-American and All-Pac 10 Conference recognition.

The Sun Devils' Most Valuable Defensive Player (2007) played at nearby Maryvale High School before arriving on ASU's campus. He lettered four times in football and twice in track, earning second-team All-City honors as a defensive back and first-team accolades at running back. He was also an All-City honoree in track as a sophomore.

James served as team captain for his football and track teams in each of his last two seasons. He collected 102 tackles as a junior and tallied 1,300 rushing yards with 16 touchdowns and 54 tackles during his senior year.

James enrolled at Arizona State in 2003, playing on the scout team as a safety. The 209-pounder shifted to strong-side outside linebacker in 2005, appearing in 10 games behind Dale Robinson. He spent most of the year with the special teams, posting six tackles (95 solos) with a 7-yard sack.

As a sophomore, James shifted to weak-side linebacker, starting six of the 11 games he played in. He posted 36 tackles (17 solos) with a sack and five stops for losses. He also had one interception and five pass deflections. He played as a reserve in the team's first eight games of 2006, but missed the final five contests due to a concussion. He managed to deliver 26 tackles (18 solos) with a sack and 4.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage before being sidelined.

In 2007, James was nearly unstoppable. He led the Sun Devils with 106 tackles (62 solos), getting to the quarterback 2.5 times with 9.5 stops for losses and a pair of pressures. He caused a fumble, broke up three passes and intercepted four others.

Positives: College linebacker who lacks ideal size to play that position in the pro ranks, but could shift to strong safety, a position he has experience playing … Has good field vision and instincts and is alert to what is happening on the field, as he is quick to diagnose plays … Shows a strong hand punch and good placement when jamming the tight end at the line of scrimmage … Takes proper angles in pursuit and has the ability to jump and extend for the ball in traffic … Roams the field with determination, showing an explosive burst for the blitz … Aggressive taking on lead blockers, gaining leverage on his opponents through proper hand usage while showing the hand strength to wrap up ballcarriers in the backfield or on the perimeter … Shows fluid lateral agility and the quickness to make plays wide and has a sharp closing burst on the weak-side … Breaks down properly in the open when runners change direction and has the quickness to catch the backs from behind … Covers in the flat with aggression, showing the recovery speed to flash to the inside … Extends his hands well to avoid low blocks at his feet and maintains balance getting through the trash at the line … Goes low in his stance, extending his arms to wrap, secure and drive the opponent back on his heels … Effective drag-down tackler who is very comfortable falling back inside to curl and hook … Has good field awareness dropping back in the zone, demonstrating good pass drop skills and fluid backpedal that could be better suited for the strong safety position at the pro level … Has a good feel for the zone, dropping back smoothly and with no hesitation in pass defense … Shows fluid lateral pursuit ability and gets a good jump on the ball defending vs. the pass … Has a sharp break out of his backpedal, showing good flexibility to push off the receivers on deep routes … Shows large, soft hands for the interception … Good at avoiding blocks along the line and will generally be in position to make the play.

Negatives: Plays too shallow at times, negating his deep coverage skills … Appears more comfortable as a drag-down tackler and needs to show better arm extension in attempts to wrap up, but takes proper angles in pursuit to compensate … Gets suckered out of position at times, as he will bite on play-action and misdirection … Will finesse rather than try to maul blockers, which results in him getting tied up by some blocks when trying to shed … Better flowing to the play-side than from behind … Drives for depth with good angle in his pass drops, but keeps his feet a little narrow handling the switch-off in the zone … Freelances often and might not have good success playing in a structured defense … Has good strength to impact ballcarriers, but his lack of bulk and size sees him engulfed by larger blockers and he struggles vs. double teams when playing at the X's … More quick than fast and might not have the pure speed to run with receivers in the deep third of the field (for a possible move to safety) … 2007 was his only season of note, as he failed to get much playing time his first four years, despite playing with one of the more mediocre units in college … Missed close to half of the 2006 season with a concussion and further medical evaluation might be warranted.

Compares To: CATO JUNE-Tampa Bay … For James to succeed at weak-side linebacker, he will have to play in a Cover-2 alignment, as his size and bulk issues cause serious problems when trying to shed blocks at the line of scrimmage. He has good pass drop skills and eyes for the ball in flight and could make a shift to safety at the pro level, but he has just adequate foot speed, which might not be enough to cover receivers in the deep third of the zone. He came into his own as a senior, but was allowed to freelance quite a bit and he might not be able to play in a controlled system. Still, with smallish linebackers becoming all the rage in a Cover-2, there could be a place for him on some team as a late-round draft choice.

2006: Suffered a concussion vs. Washington (10/28), missing the team's final five games vs. Oregon State, Washington State, UCLA, Arizona and Hawaii.

2008: Failed to complete Combine agility tests due to a right hamstring strain.

Campus: 4.7 in the 40-yard dash … Bench pressed 225 pounds 26 times … 31-inch vertical jump … 9'6" broad jump … 32 3/8-inch arm length … 9 ½-inch hands.

Combine: 4.75 in the 40-yard dash … 1.67 10-yard dash … 2.82 20-yard dash … Bench pressed 225 pounds 22 times.

Attended Maryvale (Glendale, Az.) High School, lettering four times in football and twice in track, earning second-team All-City honors as a defensive back and first-team accolades at running back … Was also an All-City honoree in track as a sophomore … Served as team captain for his football and track teams in each of his last two seasons … Collected 102 tackles as a junior and tallied 1,300 rushing yards with 16 touchdowns and 54 tackles during his senior year.

Interdisciplinary Studies major, with an emphasis in sociology and education … Son of Easter and Robert James … Born Robert William James on 12/26/83 … Resides in Glendale, Arizona.