Northwest Missouri State Athletics

James earned All-America honors in 1966 and 1967 and is a two-time MIAA conference champion. He compiled a 74-8 record on the mat at Northwest, including a school-record 37 pins. His 30 wins in a season were also a school record.

Upon graduation, James coached championship high school teams in both Iowa and Oregon. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004.