James Jett facts for kids

James Sherman Jett (born December 28, 1970) is a former American football player and Olympic sprinter. He played football as a wide receiver for nine seasons. He was with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders in the National Football League (NFL). This was from 1993 to 2002.

James Jett went to West Virginia University for college. Before that, he helped the Jefferson High School Cougars reach the state playoffs in 1988. He also ran for the high school's track team.

James Jett's College Football Career

James Jett played college football at West Virginia University. He was a starting receiver for all four years he was there.

Freshman Year (1989)

In 1989, Jett was the only true freshman to play for the team. This team later went to the Gator Bowl. He caught passes from All-American quarterback Major Harris. Jett also returned kicks and punts for the team. He finished his first year with 8 catches for 179 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned the ball 35 times for 504 yards.

Sophomore Year (1990)

In 1990, Jett became the main receiver for the Mountaineers. He had his best year for catching passes. He caught 31 passes for 652 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had 10 returns for 164 yards.

Junior Year (1991)

As a junior, Jett's receiving numbers were lower. He had 9 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. However, he had a great year returning the ball. He made 45 returns for 619 yards, which were career highs. He also ran the ball five times for 28 yards. He finished the season with 845 total yards from different plays.

Senior Year (1992)

In his last college season, James Jett caught 19 passes for 382 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also had 35 returns for 333 yards. His college career ended with a long 78-yard touchdown catch. This was a stadium record at the time. After graduating, Jett played in the Japan Bowl All-Star game.

College Legacy

James Jett finished his college career with 1,384 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He also had 125 returns for 1,620 yards. This gave him a total of 3,076 yards from all his plays. At the time he graduated, his total yards were fifth best in West Virginia University history. His receiving yards were eighth best. In 2002, James Jett was added to the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame.

James Jett's Track and Field Career

James Jett

Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold	1992 Barcelona	4 × 100 m relay

James Jett was also an Olympic sprinter. While at West Virginia University, he was named an All-American seven times in track. He finished fifth in the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials. This earned him a spot on the 4 × 100 m relay Olympic team. This team won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Their winning time was 38.95 seconds. Jett even outran future Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis in a 100-meter race before the games.

Jett ran in the first two rounds of the 4 × 100-meter relay in Barcelona. He then gave his spot in the finals to Carl Lewis. All team members, including Jett, received a gold medal. Jett earned NCAA All-America honors in the 50 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. In 1992, he finished as the NCAA runner-up in both the 100 meters and 200 meters.

His fastest times were 10.10 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.91 seconds in the 200 meters.

Fastest Times (Personal Bests)

James Jett's Professional Football Career

James Jett joined the Los Angeles Raiders in 1993. He signed with them after the 1993 NFL draft.

Early Years (1993–1995)

In his first year, Jett led the NFL in yards per catch. He averaged over 23 yards per reception. He caught 33 passes for 771 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jett played in all 16 games but started only one.

In the 1994 season, Jett again played in all 16 games. He had 15 catches for 253 yards. In 1995, he played in every game but did not start any. He finished that year with 13 catches for 179 yards and one touchdown.

Starting Years (1996–1998)

In 1996, Jett became a full-time starter. He started all 16 games that year. He caught 43 passes for 601 yards and 4 touchdowns. After this season, Jett won the NFL Fastest Man Competition.

The next season, 1997, he scored a personal best of 12 touchdowns. This was the second-highest among NFL receivers. Jett also had a career-high 46 catches for 804 yards. He was a finalist in the NFL Fastest Man Competition again.

In the 1998 season, Jett had his best year for receiving yards. He gained 882 yards on 45 catches and scored 6 touchdowns. He also averaged 55 yards per game. This was his last season starting all 16 games.

Later Years (1999–2002)

In 1999, Jett had 39 catches for 552 yards and 2 touchdowns. The next year, 2000, he caught 20 passes for 356 yards and 2 touchdowns. This included a very long 84-yard catch against the Atlanta Falcons.

In 2001, Jett played in 11 games and had two catches for 19 yards. In his final professional season, 2002, he played in and started only one game. He did not record any statistics that year.

Professional Legacy

James Jett finished his NFL career with 256 catches for 4,417 yards. He scored 30 touchdowns. He averaged 17.3 yards per catch. Jett ended his career as the 8th-leading receiver in Oakland Raiders team history. He was one of only two players from the Los Angeles Raiders to stay with the team until Super Bowl XXXVII. The other player was fellow wide receiver Tim Brown.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs