Jim Nance
No. 35 | |||||||
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Position: | Fullback | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | December 30, 1942 Indiana, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
Died: | June 17, 1992 Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. | (aged 49)||||||
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
College: | Syracuse | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1965 / Round: 4 / Pick: 45 (by the Chicago Bears)[1] | ||||||
AFL draft: | 1965 / Round: 19 / Pick: 6 (by the Boston Patriots)[2] | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Medal record | ||
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Collegiate Wrestling | ||
Representing the Syracuse Orange | ||
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships | ||
1963 Kent | Heavyweight | |
1965 Laramie | Heavyweight |
James Solomon "Big Jim" Nance (December 30, 1942 – June 17, 1992) was an American professional
High school career
Nance attended Indiana High School in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time Pennsylvania heavyweight wrestling champion in 1960 and 1961. It is said that the Pennsylvania 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]
College career
Starting for three years at Syracuse University, Nance tied the school record for career touchdowns (13) and led the Orangemen football team in rushing in 1964, scoring in ten straight games. Nance also was a collegiate wrestler at Syracuse, and in 1963 and 1965, he was the NCAA wrestling heavyweight national champion.[3][4]
Professional career
Nance was a 19th round selection of the Boston Patriots in the
Nance was an
In 1972, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles but refused to play for them, temporarily retiring. He joined the New York Jets the following year.
In 1974, Nance played with the Houston Texans/Shreveport Steamer of the World 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.
NFL career statistics
Legend | |
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AFL MVP | |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||
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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 |
Death
Nance suffered a heart attack and stroke in 1983. He died on June 17, 1992, of a heart attack in Quincy, Massachusetts.[6]
References
- ^ "1965 Chicago Bears". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "1965 AFL Draft". Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ "Syracuse Wrestling National Champions".
- ^ "New England Patriots Career Rushing Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Jim Nance Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.