James McAlister
| No. 43, 37 | |||||||||
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| Position | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | September 5, 1951 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | March 31, 2018 (aged 66) Corona, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Pasadena (CA) Blair | ||||||||
| College | UCLA | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1974: 6th round, 148th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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James Edward McAlister (September 5, 1951 – March 31, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s. He was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the 1974 NFL draft. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was also a star on their track and field team. He had the best long jump in the world in 1973 set at home in Westwood.
In 1974, the World Football League gained a large measure of recognition the day before the NFL draft when the Southern California Sun announced the signing of three potential NFL first-round selections, including McAlister. McAlister was one of a trio whose agent, 22-year-old Michael L Trope, decided not to wait for competitive bidding by the NFL. "Their value was at a peak, 30% to 35% higher than it would have been later, because of the publicity the WFL could get by our signing," said Trope, who approximated the total package at close to $1 million for his three clients.[1]
McAlister also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1971.[2]
McAlister died on March 31, 2018, in Corona, California.
References
- ^ Joe Marshall, "Full Of Sound And Fury," Sports Illustrated, February 11, 1974.
- ^ James McAlister Sports Illustrated cover