James Jett facts for kids

James Sherman Jett (born December 28, 1970) is a former American athlete. He was a professional American football player and an Olympic sprinter. Jett played as a wide receiver for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He also won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

College Football: A Star Receiver

James Jett played college football at West Virginia University. He was a starting receiver for all four years he was there. Jett was a key player for the Mountaineers. He helped his high school team, the Jefferson High School Cougars, reach the state playoffs in 1988.

Freshman Year Highlights

In 1989, Jett was the only true freshman to play on his college team. He caught 8 passes for 179 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also returned kicks and punts, gaining 504 yards.

Leading the Team

By his sophomore year in 1990, Jett was the top returning receiver. He had his best season with 31 catches for 652 yards and two touchdowns. As a junior in 1991, his receiving numbers went down. However, he set new personal bests for kick and punt returns.

Senior Season and Beyond

In his final college season (1992), Jett caught 19 passes for 382 yards. He scored 4 touchdowns. He ended his college career with 1,384 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He also gained over 1,600 yards from returns. In 2002, James Jett was honored by being added to the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame.

Track and Field: An Olympic Champion

James Jett

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

Besides football, Jett was an amazing 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 x 100 meter relay team for the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Winning Olympic Gold

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Jett helped the U.S. 4 x 100 meter relay team win a gold medal. They finished with a time of 38.95 seconds. Even though he ran in the early rounds, he gave his spot in the finals to Carl Lewis. All team members, including Jett, received a gold medal.

Personal Best Speeds

Jett was incredibly fast. He earned All-America honors in the 50 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. His fastest times were 10.10 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.91 seconds in the 200 meters.

Professional Football: Playing for the Raiders

James Jett joined the Los Angeles Raiders in 1993. He was not chosen in the NFL draft, but he signed with the team as a free agent.

Rookie Season Success

In his first year (1993), Jett led the entire NFL in yards per reception. This means he gained a lot of yards each time he caught the ball. He had 33 catches for 771 yards and 3 touchdowns. He played in all 16 games that season.

Becoming a Starter

After a few years, Jett became a full-time starter in 1996. He caught 43 passes for 601 yards and 4 touchdowns. That year, he also won the NFL Fastest Man Competition!

Career Highs

In 1997, Jett had a fantastic season. He scored 12 touchdowns, which was second-best among all NFL receivers. He also caught 46 passes for 804 yards, a personal best. In 1998, he set another personal best with 882 receiving yards.

Later Career and Legacy

Jett continued to play for the Raiders until 2002. He finished his career with 256 catches for 4,417 yards. He scored 30 touchdowns. He is the 8th-leading receiver in Oakland Raiders history. James Jett was one of only two players from the Los Angeles Raiders team to stay with the team until Super Bowl XXXVII.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs