Athlon announced its 2017 All-America football teams on Tuesday and Middle Tennessee’s Richie James earned second team honors. James was the highest ranked player in Conference USA and the highest rated position player in the state of Tennessee.
James, a rising redshirt junior, is coming off another record-breaking season when he collected 105 receptions for 1,625 yards and 12 touchdowns. He ranked fourth nationally in receiving yards and was sixth in receptions per game. James also rushed for a career-best 339 yards.
James, who has played just 26 career games, ranks second on MT’s career list for receptions and receiving yards. James has 213 receptions for 2,971 yards. The all-time leader in both categories is Kendall Newson who had 238 catches for 3,074 yards. James also owns 20 career touchdown grabs to rank fourth all-time and just four shy of the record.
He enters the 2017 campaign ranked first nationally among active players in receptions per game and receiving yards per game
