On Tuesday afternoon The University of Oregon athletic department announced its 2023 Hall of Fame class, and it includes former Oregon RB LaMichael James. James played 3 seasons for the Ducks racking up 5668 all-purpose yards and 56 TDs. James was a member of the 2010 Oregon team which advanced to the national championship game against Auburn.
James was a large part of the Ducks’ success that season, rushing for 1731 yards and scoring 24 total TDs. His efforts in 2010 put him in the running for numerous awards including the Heisman Trophy, which he placed third in voting for, and the Doak Walker Award (Nation’s best RB) which he won.
James was equally dominant in 2011, even though Oregon was unable to make it back to the national championship. That season, James rushed for 1805 yards and scored 19 TDs. After the 2011 season, James declared for the NFL draft where he was taken in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers.
James wasn’t just a football star with the Ducks. In 2010 and 2011, James competed in the 100-meter dash and the 4×100 relay for the Oregon Track and Field team. In 2010, James placed fifth at the Pac-10 championships and first at the Oregon Twilight meet in the 100-meter.
While he didn’t have the same success in the NFL that he did as a Duck, James has been quite successful off the field since his days at Oregon. Currently, James owns three Killer Burger restaurants —one of which is in Eugene — and could open more.
Second only to Royce Freeman in career rushing yards, and the holder of three of the top six rushing seasons, James is a Ducks legend, and arguably one of the greatest Ducks ever. He was a member of the greatest Ducks’ team ever, and his induction to the Oregon Hall of Fame is well-earned.