MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile and Baldwin County have a long history of sending stars to the NFL, and the Senior Bowl Spotlight series looks back at one of them each week. This week, the spotlight turns to former Faith Academy linebacker Shemar James, now in his second season with the Dallas Cowboys.
James was one of the top defensive players on the Gulf Coast before heading to the University of Florida, where he became a two-time team captain. He returned home to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, then heard his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Shemar James at a Glance
- Hometown: Mobile
- High school: Faith Academy
- College: Florida (2022-24), two-time team captain
- Honors: Freshman All-SEC, 2022
- Senior Bowl: 2025
- NFL Draft: Fifth round, 152nd overall, Dallas Cowboys, 2025
- Rookie season: 91 total tackles in 14 games
A Two-Way Standout at Faith Academy
Long before he was chasing NFL running backs, James was a do-everything player for the Faith Academy Rams in west Mobile.
As a junior, he made 70 tackles, including 17 for loss, and recorded seven sacks on defense. He was just as dangerous with the ball in his hands, rushing for 268 yards and five touchdowns and catching 35 passes for 473 yards and eight more scores.
That kind of versatility made him one of the most sought-after prospects in the country. James was a four-star recruit in the class of 2022, rated among the nation’s top linebackers and one of the top 20 overall prospects in his class. He chose Florida over Alabama, heading to Gainesville to play in the Southeastern Conference.
Faith Academy has produced a steady line of college talent over the years, and James’ recruitment put the Rams’ program in the national spotlight. For a Mobile private school, having a player courted by the nation’s top SEC programs was a point of pride for coaches, teammates and the community that watched him grow up.
An Early Impact at Florida
James did not wait long to make an impression in Gainesville. As a true freshman in 2022, he played in all 13 of the Gators’ games, starting four, and finished with 47 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The performance earned him a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team.
Making an immediate impact at linebacker in the SEC is no small feat. The position asks young players to diagnose run and pass plays in a split second against some of the most talented offenses in college football, and many freshmen spend their first season learning on special teams. James was contributing on defense right away.
His sophomore season in 2023 was cut short. He had 55 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack through eight games before a knee injury ended his year.
James bounced back in 2024. He was named a team captain again and recorded his first career interception against Miami. Being chosen a captain twice by his teammates in the SEC spoke to the respect he earned inside the Florida locker room, not only for his play but for his leadership.
Back Home for the Senior Bowl
After three seasons at Florida, James played in the 2025 Senior Bowl, returning to his hometown for the premier college all-star game in the country.
The Senior Bowl, played each year at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus, is far more than a single game. The week of practices that leads up to it draws coaches, scouts and front-office staff from every NFL team, and many evaluators consider those practices as important as the game itself. Players get a chance to compete against other top prospects and interview with teams face to face.
For a Mobile native, the week carried extra meaning. Rather than traveling to an unfamiliar city, James showcased his skills in front of NFL decision-makers just miles from where he played high school football, with family and friends able to watch in person.
Drafted by Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys selected James in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, making him the 152nd overall pick.
Fifth-round selections often have to fight for a roster spot and special teams role before they ever see meaningful snaps on defense. James entered a linebacker room that included veteran Kenneth Murray and was inactive for the first three games of his rookie season.
Once he got onto the field, he made the most of it. James appeared in 14 games with six starts and finished his rookie season with 91 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He reached double-digit tackles in three games, including a 17-tackle performance against the New York Jets, one of the highest single-game totals ever recorded by a Cowboys rookie.
The season was not without its ups and downs. James saw his role shrink after teammate DeMarvion Overshown returned from knee surgery, but he worked his way back into the lineup late in the season and finished strong in the season finale against the New York Giants.
Year Two in Dallas
James entered 2026 with a new defensive coordinator in Dallas, as Christian Parker arrived from the Philadelphia Eagles. The linebacker, who wears No. 50 and is listed at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, is now in his second NFL season and looking to build on a productive rookie campaign.
For a player who was once racking up tackles and touchdowns on Friday nights for Faith Academy, the path has followed a familiar route for Gulf Coast talent: star locally, prove yourself in the SEC, play in the Senior Bowl at home and carry that momentum into the NFL.
About the Senior Bowl Spotlight
The Senior Bowl Spotlight highlights former Mobile and Baldwin County players who have gone on to college and professional success, many of whom played in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in their hometown. Recent spotlights have featured former LeFlore standout Lawyer Tillman and former Blount running back Sherman Williams, now the head coach at Murphy.
The series is a reminder of the connection between the Senior Bowl and the local high school football community. Each winter, the game brings the NFL’s attention to Mobile, and players like James show that some of the prospects on that field grew up playing just down the road.