James had a strong desire to compete in athletics, but his doctors prevented him from participating because of a heart murmur that developed after a serious illness.
The trio were the longest-running evening news team in the nation at the time James left channel 5 to focus solely on Cougar football and basketball.
James suffered a heart episode at Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium just prior to the BYU-Utah football game at end the 1996 season.
James subsequently recovered and returned in six weeks, to call the 1997 Cotton Bowl Classic where BYU defeated Kansas State 19–15.
[3] James wrote a book Cougar Tales, published in 1984, which chronicled his experiences calling play-by-play for BYU football and basketball up to that point.