Local football star honored By: Susan Lindsey - Texarkana Gazette - Published: 11/24/2008 Arthur “King” James and wife Patsy listen to accolades from former coaches and friends during a service and reception at New Town Baptist Church honoring the Texarkana native for his recent induction into the Lone Star Conference Hall of Fame. James was a running back for East Texas University, now Texas A&M University—Commerce, from 1966 to 1969. Football and family have long been a staple of Southern tradition and Arthur James was honored for his commitment to both Sunday afternoon at New Town Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. Local football star honored Arthur James, or “AJ” to his friends and family and “King Arthur” to many of his fans, was a product of New Town, a small community in Texarkana just off New Boston Road. He attended Dunbar High School where he played football as a linebacker for the Dunbar Buffaloes. After graduation, he received a full scholarship to East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce. “Coach Hawkins came in and told me, ‘We have a letter from a young man from Dunbar High School in Texarkana named Arthur James.’ He was 5-foot-8, 165 pounds and played linebacker. How many coaches want someone 5-8, 165 pounds?” said Sam McCord, a former ETSU coach. But McCord gave James a chance and said it proved to be the best decision ever made. At ETSU, James rushed for a career total of 4,285 yards, with two 1,000-yard seasons in 1968 ad 1969, and ran for more than 200 yards in a game on five separate occasions. He holds the top two single-game rushing efforts in the history of the school. His career total is ranked fifth all-time in Lone Star Conference history. James was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1979 and the 2008 LSC Hall of Fame, was part of the 75th anniversary All-LSC team, was named 1968 and 1969 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics first team All-American, and selected three-time All-LSC between 1967 and 1969. James will be inducted into the 2008 Black Sports Hall of Fame in Dallas on Dec. 6. In fact, a general consensus among all those who watched the games or played football with James was that he was fast. “I loved blocking for Arthur James. It just took a brush block and he was through there,” said Wardell Richardson, a high school and college teammate. The kids who attended school after James graduated, either at Dunbar or at ETSU, wanted to be like him. Carlton Cooper, athletic director at TAMU-C, spoke with a friend who played football and graduated from ETSU about meeting James when he heard his friend say, “I always wanted to beat his record.” In fact, James was such an influential player at ETSU they retired his jersey number, 30, after graduation. His is the only number to be retired in school history. Cooper and Anthony Cullins, student regent with Texas A&M University Systems, presented James with his own ETSU jersey, complete with his original number. But James not only made an impact on the football field, he also made an impact on New Town community. Texarkana, Texas, City Council member Willie Ray presented James a key to the city and a plaque signed by Mayor Steve Mayo declaring Nov. 23 Arthur James Day in Texarkana, Texas. The New Town community is also working to create a King Arthur Scholarship to help those in the community go to college. An inaugural golf tournament was held Saturday in James’ honor, which will become an annual event for New Town. “Arthur James was not only a good athlete, he was a good person,” said Dan Haskins, a former Dunbar football coach. And those in the packed audience at New Town Baptist Church who knew James couldn’t agree more. In fact, humble was the word used most often to describe James. He was a great talent on the football field but he was also a humble man, supporters said. Even with the many accomplishments he achieved in his football career, he never forgot his roots, said the Rev. Vernon Tubbs.