Brandon James

2014 D3football.com All-North Region Team

The College of Wooster's Brandon James was named to the 2014 D3football.com All-North Region Team at two different positions, as the versatile senior repeated as a third-team pick at safety and added first-team honors for his work on special teams, the website announced on Monday.

James, also a first-team all-North Coast Athletic Conference selection at two positions (defensive back, return specialist), piled up a career-high 98 tackles, including 9.5 for losses, as one of the leaders of the Fighting Scots' defense during 2014. In pass coverage, he broke up four passes and intercepted one, despite opposing quarterbacks usually throwing away from him, and both of his forced fumbles came following short receptions. James played very well against top-level competition with a combined 39 tackles (4.5 for losses) in games against NCAA Div. III Football Championship participants Wabash College, Washington & Jefferson College, and Wittenberg University.

As a specialist, the 5-10, 200-pound standout was voted the NCAC's top returner (7.7 punt return average, 25.0 kickoff return average) plus he successfully executed two fake punts as the punt protector and blocked a field goal during the Wabash game to keep Wooster within striking distance of the nationally-ranked Little Giants early in the third quarter. James turned the fake punts into 112 rushing yards – a 46-yarder down to the three, also at Wabash, and a 66-yarder for a touchdown against Allegheny College.