AUBURN, Ala. – Lionel James, a 5-foot-6 running back nicknamed "Little Train" who starred for Auburn in the early 1980s and set NFL records, has passed away at the age of 59 after a lengthy illness Friday.
"Lionel James defined Auburn football for a generation," said former Auburn sports information director and director of athletics David Housel.
James led the Tigers in rushing in 1981, Pat Dye's first season on the Plains. He ranks No. 18 on Auburn's career rushing list with 2,068 yards from 1980-83. His 6.14 yards-per-carry average ranks fourth in program history.
The Albany, Georgia, native led Auburn in all-purpose yards in 1981 and 1982. James was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
One of the most popular players in Auburn football history, James weighed 150 pounds as a freshman and was named Auburn's Most Improved Running Back after spring practice in 1981.
James captained the Tigers in 1983, leading Auburn to its first SEC championship in 26 years, teaming up with backfield mates and future NFL peers Bo Jackson and Tommie Agee.
"Pound for pound one of the greatest all-purpose players to play the game of football," Agee said. "Always put the team first. He was one of the reasons why I came to Auburn. He showed me what the Auburn family, the Auburn team, was all about on my official visit."
"Lionel was a special person," said quarterback Randy Campbell, who co-captained Auburn's 1983 SEC championship team. "Thoughtful, kind, caring and the ultimate team player. He led by example and made everyone around him a better football player.
"He could turn a bad play into a great play like the 87-yard touchdown vs. Georgia in 1982. He should have been tackled at the line of scrimmage but made the guy miss and took it all the way. Little Train played in the greatest group of running backs in Auburn history with Bo, Tommie Agee and Brent Fullwood. He was my favorite because he was the underdog. We love Lionel and will miss him very much."
In 1987, Auburn's A-Day offensive MVP award was permanently named the Lionel James Offensive MVP Award.
James, a fifth-round pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1984, played five seasons with the franchise, setting an NFL record with 2,535 all-purpose yards in 1985. James was named the Chargers Most Valuable Player in 1985 after leading the team in rushing, receiving and kickoff and punt return yardage.
He led the AFC in receptions that season with 86 while setting the NFL record for receiving yards by a running back with 1,027.
After his NFL career, James returned to Auburn and graduated in 1989, then coached tight ends on Terry Bowden's staff in 1996-97.
"Who could ever forget the tears in his eyes after the Tennessee game in Knoxville in 1981?" Housel recalled. "Losing hurt. Those tears and his reaction symbolized the change in attitude about Auburn football. Those tears showed that winning mattered and it was worth fighting for.
"Lionel James – the Little Engine That Could. All of the things you want to think Auburn football is about, Lionel James summarized. He wasn't big in stature, but he was big in heart, and he symbolized Auburn football for a generation or more."
