Lewis James, one of El Paso’s greatest and most influential sports figures, died Tuesday in El Paso.
James was 81 years old. James was a star athlete in football, basketball, and track at Bell High School from 1958 to 1961.
He earned a scholarship to Texas Western College (now UTEP), where he played defensive back for the Miners under coaches Ben Collins, Bum Phillips, and Warren Harper.
James earned All-American honors in 1964 and an invitation to the Blue-Gray College All-Star Game.
He was drafted in the 11th round by the Philadelphia Eagles and earned a roster spot in 1965. Although his knee injury cut James’ professional career short to two years, he ultimately made his mark as an educator and coach in El Paso.
James coached at Bel Air, working with the successful Bob Savage, where he remained for 17 years, including a stint as defensive coordinator. During his time with the Highlanders, the program won his eighth straight district title.
James turned his success as an assistant coach into a head coaching opportunity.
During his time with the Rangers, he led Riverside to a 37-21-1 record and a District 2-5A runner-up finish in 1985.
James moved to Parkland and led the team to a 21-10 record, including a district championship in 1994. After completing his coaching stint at Parkland, he worked as an administrator at the school.
Bel Air, Riverside, and Parkland are all in the Isleta Independent School District. He was inducted into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
“I had the honor of playing for Coach James as a junior and senior at Riverside. He turned RHS around. He had a huge impact on my life. Great coach, even better man. .Rest in peace Coach James,” the longtime coach said.El Paso football coach Arturo Poblano Jr.
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Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com. X’s @Fchavezeptimes (previously his Twitter)