LaMichael James LaMichael Keondrae James ( born October 22 , 1989 ) is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League ( NFL ) . The 2010 NCAA college football season was a breakout one for James , as he rushed for 1 , 682 yards during the regular season , the highest in the nation . He finished third in balloting for the Heisman Trophy and received the Doak Walker Award . In 2011 he became Oregon ' s career rushing leader and rushed for a school - record 1 , 805 yards that season . He is considered to be one of the top running backs throughout his college career , with his 5 , 082 total rushing yards placing him 2nd in Pacific - 12 Conference history and 14th in NCAA history . The 49ers selected James in the second round with the 61st pick in the 2012 Draft . High school career . He attended Liberty - Eylau High School in Texarkana , Texas , where he played for the Liberty - Eylau Leopards high school football team . As a sophomore he rushed for 643 yards and 10 touchdowns on 76 carries . In his junior season he totaled 1 , 600 yards and 16 touchdowns on 229 carries while adding 500 yards receiving , 3 touchdowns and 33 receptions . James continued his dominance during his senior campaign to the tune of 2 , 043 yards and 24 touchdowns on 230 touches , averaging 8 . 9 yards per carry . College career . 2009 season . James attended the University of Oregon , where he played for coach Chip Kelly ' s Oregon Ducks football team from 2009 to 2011 . After the suspension of LeGarrette Blount , James became the starting running back for the Ducks in 2009 . He helped the Ducks to upset victories over Utah and California with 152 and 118 rushing yards , respectively . He again rushed for over 100 yards on October 10 against UCLA with 152 yards on 20 carries . Once again , James eclipsed the 100 yard mark with 154 yards rushing on 15 carries against Washington on October 24 , and on October 31 with 183 yards to upset then No . 5 USC . He led all BCS - conference running backs with 6 . 9 yards per carry . On December 7 , 2009 , James was named Pac - 10 Offensive Freshman of the Year . 2010 season . On March 9 , 2010 , head coach Chip Kelly announced that James would be suspended for the season opening game of the 2010 season , following his guilty plea for physical harassment against his former girlfriend . Against Portland State James rushed for 227 yards on 14 carries and scored two touchdowns in a 69 - 0 shutout win , the Ducks ' second shutout on the year . The next week against Arizona State James was held to only 94 rushing yards , but the total was enough to move James past the 2 , 000 yard mark for his career . Against Arizona Wildcats James rushed for 126 yards , 2 touchdowns and surpassed LeGarrette Blount ' s single season scoring record . James had a season high against the Stanford Cardinal by garnering 3 touchdowns , and 257 yards on 31 rushes . Over the course of the season , James had eclipsed the century mark 9 times , only failing to reach 100 yards twice . All in all James has had 18 100 + rushing yard games in his career , a record at the University of Oregon . Despite missing the first game of the 2010 season , due to suspension , James managed to break the Pac - 10 all - time sophomore single season rushing record , and led the country in both rushing yards ( 1 , 682 ) and touchdowns ( 22 ) , ultimately earning a trip to the annual Heisman Ceremony in New York as a finalist . Following James ' 2010 season , he received the Doak Walker award , given to best running back in the country , and was recognized as a unanimous first - team All - American . He was also a Pac - 12 All - Academic selection . The Ducks finished regular season play undefeated ( 12 - 0 ) and ranked No . 2 in both the BCS and the AP poll . They played the top - ranked Auburn Tigers in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game in Glendale , Arizona . In that game , James had two touchdown receptions , including one that set up the game - tying two - point conversion . Nevertheless , James ' season ended with disappointment when Auburn kicked a game - winning field goal as time expired for a 22 - 19 win . 2011 season . In the first game of the 2011 season against LSU , James became Oregon ' s career rushing leader , surpassing the mark previously set by Derek Loville . In the 3rd game of the season against Missouri State , James ran for 204 yards , 3 touchdowns , and for his 4th career 200 + yard rushing game . On September 24 in a game against Arizona , James rushed for an Oregon single game record of 288 yards on 24 carries . On October 6 , 2011 , against California , in a game against California , James fell awkwardly on his right arm and left with an air cast . In a post - game statement , he announced X - rays were negative for a break and that he had suffered a dislocated elbow but popped it back into place before leaving the field . On December 2 , 2011 , James won the Pac - 12 Championship Game MVP , while rushing for 3 touchdowns . On January 2 , 2012 , James rushed for 159 yards on 25 carries with one touchdown to help Oregon beat Wisconsin 45 - 38 in the Rose Bowl . Track and field . James was also a track star at the University of Oregon . Despite limited workouts with school ’ s track team , he scored 5th in the 2010 Pac - 10 championships at 100 meters while posting a personal best time of 10 . 50 seconds in the semifinals . Also anchored 4x100 relay to 4th place . Professional career . 2012 NFL Combine . James was drafted 61st overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 NFL Draft . San Francisco 49ers . James played in his first NFL game in Week 14 against the Dolphins . He carried the ball 8 times for 30 yards and had a 3 . 7 yard avg . He also caught a 15 - yard reception . In Week 15 against the Patriots , he had 8 carries for 31 yards . He also had a 62 - yard kickoff return after the Patriots had completed a 28 point comeback to tie the game up , leading to a touchdown the next play for the 49ers . James scored his first career touchdown in the 2012 NFC Championship against the Atlanta Falcons . Personal . James was born in New Boston , Texas to Rosemary James . He was raised by his maternal grandmother Betty James in Texarkana , Texas . His father was killed before he was born , and his mother was in and out of his life . His grandmother died of cervical cancer when he was a high school junior , after which he chose to live by himself in their home until he graduated from high school . James has two children , a son named Adrian LaMichael James and a daughter named Linaya Grace James .