James Saxon (American football)

Last updated

James Saxon
Minnesota Vikings RB coach James Saxon in 2012.jpg
Saxon in 2012 as Minnesota Vikings running backs coach
No. 21, 22
Position: Fullback
Personal information
Born: (1966-03-23) March 23, 1966 (age 58)
Beaufort, South Carolina, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:239 lb (108 kg)
Career information
High school: Burton (SC) Battery Creek
College: San Jose State
NFL draft: 1988  / round: 6 / pick: 139
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:533
Yards per carry:3.7
Rushing touchdowns:5
Receiving yards:515
Player stats at PFR

James Elijah Saxon (born March 23, 1966) is an American football coach and former fullback. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills.

Contents

Saxon played college football at San Jose State and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL draft. He played for eight seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.

Early life

Born in Beaufort, South Carolina, James Saxon graduated from Battery Creek High School in Burton, South Carolina in 1984. [1]

Playing career

College

Saxon moved to Sacramento, California to attend American River College and played on its football team from 1984 to 1985. [1] Then, Saxon transferred to San Jose State University. Saxon played for the San Jose State Spartans football team in 1986 and 1987 as running back and was part of the Spartans' 1986 California Bowl championship team. [2] James Saxon also has a son named Devin Saxon, some people may know him as a Football Player on the Harvard Crimson Football Team. Others may recognize him as "Mr. Minnesota" from the 2012 Cosmo's Bachelor of the Year.

National Football League

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 11+1⁄8 in
(1.81 m)		205 lb
(93 kg)		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		4.67 s1.67 s2.68 s4.42 s31.0 in
(0.79 m)		9 ft 7 in
(2.92 m)		12 reps

Saxon was selected in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL draft as the 135th overall pick. [3] As a fullback, Saxon played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1988 to 1991, Miami Dolphins from 1992 to 1994, and Philadelphia Eagles in 1995. [4] [5]

Coaching career

Early career

In 1997, Saxon got his first coaching job as running backs coach at Rutgers University, a position he would have for two years. Saxon also served as a training camp coaching intern for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998. In 1999, Saxon was a volunteer assistant coach for Menlo College. [1]

Buffalo Bills

In 2000, Saxon was hired by the Buffalo Bills as their running backs coach.

Kansas City Chiefs

In 2001, Saxon was hired by the Kansas City Chiefs as their running backs coach. He would serve in that position until 2007.

Miami Dolphins

In 2008, Saxon was hired by the Miami Dolphins as their running backs coach and would serve in that position until 2009.

Minnesota Vikings

In 2010, Saxon was hired by the Minnesota Vikings as their running backs coach.

Pittsburgh Steelers

In 2014, Saxon was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers as their running backs coach under head coach Mike Tomlin.

Arizona Cardinals

On January 14, 2019, Saxon was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as their running backs coach under head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Saxon kept his job with the Cardinals until his arrest for sexual assault incident in May 2022 became public Aug. 4, when he was put on administrative leave. Saxon resigned in October. [6]

Memphis Showboats

On March 20, 2023, Saxon was added to the Memphis Showboats Staff as their Offensive Line Coach. [7] He was no longer a part of the staff before the 2024 season. [8]

On November 17, 2022, Saxon plead guilty to his domestic battery charge stemming from a May 2022 incident; he subsequently received a one–year suspended sentence. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Porter</span> American football player and coach (born 1977)

Joseph Eugene Porter Sr. is an American professional football coach and former player. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado State Rams and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers and was also a member of the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers drafted his son, Joey Porter Jr., with the thirty-second overall selection of the 2023 NFL draft.

The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement. Paul Tagliabue was eventually chosen to succeed him, taking over on November 5.

Vanchi LaShawn "Shawn" Jefferson Sr. is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the associate head coach and wide receivers coach for the Arizona Cardinals from 2021 to 2022 and also previously served as an assistant coach for the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans and Detroit Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Whisenhunt</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Kenneth Moore Whisenhunt is an American football coach and former tight end who is currently the head coach of the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Georgia Tech and was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1985 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, with whom he played for four years. He subsequently played two more years with the Washington Redskins and another two with the New York Jets.

Ronald Lee Bradford is an American former professional football defensive back who played for the NFL's Denver Broncos (1993–1995), Arizona Cardinals (1996), Atlanta Falcons (1997–2001), and Minnesota Vikings. He also served as a defensive assistant coach for the Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. Bradford was also the defensive backs coach at USC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirby Wilson</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Kirby Keyes Wilson is an American football coach who was previously a running backs coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He coached for the New England Patriots, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals and Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders. He was previously the head coach for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League (USFL).

Nicholas Eason is an American football coach and former defensive end who is currently the defensive tackles coach and run game coordinator at Clemson University. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Auburn Tigers, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, and Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Haley</span> American football coach

Richard Todd Haley is an American football coach who most recently was head coach for the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL).

Gerald Alexander is an American football coach and former safety. He played college football at Boise State, and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets. He is currently the safeties coach for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Kolby Kendrall Smith is an American former professional football running back and current coach who is an offensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft after he played college football at Louisville. Smith was also a member of the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars. After his playing career he began coaching in the college ranks and as 2020 he returned to the NFL as a coach with the Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Curtis Christian School</span> Private christian co-educational school in River Ridge, Jefferson Parish, LA, United States

John Curtis Christian School is a co-educational, non-sectarian, private Christian K-12 school in River Ridge, Louisiana, in the United States. The school colors are red, white and blue and the school's nickname is Patriots.

Brian Francisco Flores is an American professional football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career with the New England Patriots, where he served as an assistant coach from 2008 to 2018. Flores was New England's defensive playcaller during his final season coaching for the team, which concluded with a victory in Super Bowl LIII. Following the victory, he served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021.

David Merritt is an American professional football coach for the Kansas City Chiefs for the National Football League (NFL) and former linebacker who served as the defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL draft. He played college football at North Carolina State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike McDaniel</span> American football coach (born 1983)

Michael Lee McDaniel is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time assistant and descendant of the Shanahan coaching tree, McDaniel began his NFL coaching career as an intern for the Denver Broncos in 2005. McDaniel served as an assistant coach for the Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2021, holding his first offensive coordinator position in 2021. McDaniel has appeared in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons in 2017, and Super Bowl LIV with the 49ers in 2020 as an assistant coach alongside Kyle Shanahan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Williams</span> American football player (born 1992)

Damien Williams is an American professional football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and won Super Bowl LIV with the team. In that Super Bowl, he scored the Chiefs' game-clinching touchdown on a 38-yard run with less than two minutes left in the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby McCain</span> American football player (born 1993)

Bobby Marcellous McCain is an American professional football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. McCain has also played for the Washington Football Team / Commanders and New York Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 NFL draft</span> 86th annual meeting of NFL franchises to select newly eligible players

The 2021 NFL draft was the 86th National Football League draft, the annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2021 NFL season. The draft was held in Cleveland, Ohio from April 29 to May 1, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 NFL draft</span> 87th annual meeting of NFL franchises to select newly eligible players

The 2022 NFL draft was the 87th edition of the National Football League's annual draft and was held from April 28–30, 2022, at the Caesars Forum on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise next to Las Vegas. The first round was held on Thursday, April 28, and was followed by the second and third rounds on Friday, April 29. The draft concluded with rounds 4–7 on Saturday, April 30. It was the first draft to be held in the Las Vegas metropolitan area and the state of Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 NFL draft</span> 88th annual meeting of NFL franchises to select newly eligible players

The 2023 NFL draft was the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2023 season. The draft was held outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, from April 27–29, 2023.

The 2025 NFL draft will be the 90th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft is scheduled to be held around Lambeau Field and Titletown campus in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 24–26, 2025.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "James Saxon". Pittsburgh Steelers. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  2. ↑ "James Saxon Stats | College Football at Sports-Reference.com". Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  3. ↑ "1988 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  4. ↑ "James Saxon Stats, News and Video - RB". NFL.com .
  5. ↑ "James Saxon Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  6. ↑ "Sources: Cards assistant fired for groping woman". ESPN.com. November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  7. ↑ LaFave, Dave (March 20, 2023). "Memphis Showboats Announce Coaching Staff for 2023 Season". usflnewshub.com. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  8. ↑ Larsen, James (January 4, 2024). "Memphis Showboats See Personnel Overhaul For UFL In 2024". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Former Cardinals assistant gets 1-year suspended sentence". espn.com. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.