LaMichael Keondrae James (born October 22, 1989) is a former American football running back. James played college football for the University of Oregon.
The 2010 season was a breakout one for James, as he rushed for 1,731 yards, the highest in the nation. He finished third in balloting for the Heisman Trophy that year and received the Doak Walker Award. In 2011, he became Oregon's career rushing leader and rushed for a school-record 1,805 yards. He was considered to be one of the top running backs throughout his college career, with his 5,082 total rushing yards placing him 2nd in Pac-12 Conference history and 14th in NCAA history. James was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
James attended Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, Texas, where he played for the Liberty-Eylau Leopards high school football team. As a sophomore, he rushed for 643 yards and 10 touchdowns on 76 carries. In his junior season, he totaled 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns on 229 carries while adding 500 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 33 receptions. James continued his dominance during his senior campaign to the tune of 2,043 yards and 24 touchdowns on 230 touches, averaging 8.9 yards per carry.