James, who legally dropped the Peterson surname when he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2006, also later played with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and San Francisco 49ers.

[2] At the time of the 2001 NFL draft, James acknowledged that he had been immature, making bad decisions, and pointed out that – after serving probation and community service on the possession conviction – his criminal record had been expunged.

James briefly attended Youngstown State in Ohio before finishing his collegiate career with a single season playing with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in 2000, starting 10 games.

James signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on October 30, 2006, and played with the team for two seasons before becoming a free agent in 2008.

On March 18, 2008, James was signed by the Buffalo Bills to a two-year contract, but was released on August 30 during final cuts.