| No. 35 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Fullback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | December 30, 1942 Indiana, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | June 17, 1992(1992-06-17) (aged 49) Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College | Syracuse | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1965: 4th round, 45th overall pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft | 1965: 19th round, 6th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Collegiate Wrestling | ||
| Representing theSyracuse Orange | ||
| NCAA Division I Championships | ||
 | 1963 Kent | Heavyweight |
| 1965 Laramie | Heavyweight |
James Solomon "Big Jim"Nance (December 30, 1942 – June 17, 1992) was an American professionalfootball player who was afullback with theBoston Patriots during their days in theAmerican Football League (AFL). He was inducted into thePatriots Hall of Fame in 2009. He playedcollege football for theSyracuse Orangemen.
Nance attended Indiana High School inIndiana, Pennsylvania, where he was a two-timePennsylvania heavyweightwrestling champion in 1960 and 1961. It is said that thePennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) added the heavyweight class to accommodate Nance, who was too large for their highest weight class in 1959, which was 185 pounds.[citation needed]
Starting for three years atSyracuse University, Nance tied the school record for career touchdowns and led theOrangemen football team in rushing in 1964, scoring in ten straight games. Nance also was acollegiate wrestler at Syracuse, winning theNCAA wrestling national championship at heavyweight in 1963 and 1965.[1][2]
Nance was a 19th round selection of the Boston Patriots in the1965 AFL draft as well as a fourth round selection of theChicago Bears in the1965 NFL draft.[3][4] Nance signed with the Patriots. Though his rookie season was unimpressive, he led the AFL in rushing the next two seasons. He went on to become the only AFL player ever to rush for more than 1,400 yards in a season. At 6-1 and 260 pounds, Nance was a powerful fullback who carried 299 times in 1966, for 11 touchdowns and 1,458 yards. That season, he rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 24–21 victory over theOakland Raiders.
Nance was anAmerican Football League All-Star in 1966, when he also a unanimous selection for the league'sMost Valuable Player award. He was the last Patriot to be named an MVP for over three decades. He was anAll-Star again in 1967 when he became the only AFL player to have consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards, this time 1,216. He retired as the Patriots' all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 45, a record he still holds.[5]
In 1972, he was traded to thePhiladelphia Eagles but refused to play for them, temporarily retiring. He joined theNew York Jets the following year.
In 1974, Nance played with theHouston Texans/Shreveport Steamer of theWorld Football League, rushing for 1,240 yards. In 1975, he ran for 767 yards before the WFL folded. He is the all-time leading rusher in the WFL with 490 carries for 2,007 yards and a 4.1 average. He rushed for 15 touchdowns in his WFL career.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| AFL MVP | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | FR | ||
| 1965 | BOS | 14 | 7 | 111 | 321 | 2.9 | 22.9 | 20 | 5 | 12 | 83 | 6.9 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1966 | BOS | 14 | 14 | 299 | 1,458 | 4.9 | 104.1 | 65 | 11 | 8 | 103 | 12.9 | 45 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1967 | BOS | 14 | 14 | 269 | 1,216 | 4.5 | 86.9 | 53 | 7 | 22 | 196 | 8.9 | 36 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| 1968 | BOS | 12 | 12 | 177 | 593 | 3.4 | 49.4 | 30 | 4 | 14 | 51 | 3.6 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1969 | BOS | 14 | 14 | 193 | 750 | 3.9 | 53.6 | 43 | 6 | 29 | 168 | 5.8 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970 | BOS | 13 | 13 | 145 | 522 | 3.6 | 40.2 | 21 | 7 | 26 | 148 | 5.7 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 1971 | NE | 13 | 13 | 129 | 463 | 3.6 | 35.6 | 50 | 5 | 18 | 95 | 5.3 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1973 | NYJ | 7 | 1 | 18 | 78 | 4.3 | 11.1 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 6.5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 101 | 88 | 1,341 | 5,401 | 4.0 | 53.5 | 65 | 45 | 133 | 870 | 6.5 | 45 | 1 | 30 | 2 | |
Nance suffered a heart attack and stroke in 1983. He died on June 17, 1992, of a heart attack inQuincy, Massachusetts.[6]
