James Solomon "Big Jim" Nance (December 30, 1942 – June 17, 1992) was an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
fullback with the
Boston Patriots
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...
during their days in the
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
(AFL). He was inducted into the
Patriots Hall of Fame in 2009. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Syracuse Orangemen.
High school career
Wrestling for Indiana (PA) Joint High School, Nance was a two time Pennsylvania heavyweight champion in 1960 and 1961. It is said that the PIAA (PA's governing body) added the heavyweight class to accommodate Nance, who was too large for their highest weight class in 1959, which was 185 pounds.
College career
Starting for three years at
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
, Nance tied the school record for career touchdowns (13) and led the
Orangemen in rushing in 1964, scoring in ten straight games. In 1963 and 1965 Jim Nance was the NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion and received All-America honors.
Nance was also a Two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Heavyweight (1963 and 1965)
Professional career
Nance was a 19th round selection of the Boston Patriots in the
1965 AFL Draft
The 1965 American Football League draft took place on November 28, 1964. Held via telephone conference call, it remains the only draft in major professional football history to be held without a central location. The NFL draft was held the same d ...
, as well as a 4th round selection of the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
in the
1965 NFL Draft
The 1965 National Football League draft was held at the Summit Hotel in New York City on Saturday, November 28, 1964. The first player selected was Tucker Frederickson, back from Auburn, by the New York Giants.
The draft was marked by the failur ...
. Nance signed with the Patriots. Though his rookie season was unimpressive, he led the AFL in rushing the next two seasons. He went on to become the only AFL player ever to rush for more than 1,400 yards in a season. At 6-1 and 260 pounds, Nance was a powerful fullback who carried 299 times in 1966, for 11 touchdowns and 1,458 yards. That season, he rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 24–21 victory over the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
.
Nance was an
American Football League All-Star in 1966, when he also received the league's
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
award, and an
All-Star again in 1967 when he became the only AFL player to have consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards, this time 1,216. He retired as the Patriots' all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 45, a record he still holds.
In 1972, he was traded to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
but refused to play for them, temporarily retiring. He joined the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
the following year.
In 1974, Nance played with the
Houston Texans/Shreveport Steamer of the
World Football League
The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest t ...
, 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.
Death
Nance suffered a heart attack and stroke in 1983. He died on June 17, 1992, of a heart attack in
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...
.
References
External links
New England Patriots bio– ''New York Times''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nance, Jim
1942 births
1992 deaths
American Football League Most Valuable Players
American Football League All-Star players
American football running backs
Players of American football from Pennsylvania
Boston Patriots players
New England Patriots players
New York Jets players
Houston Texans (WFL) players
Shreveport Steamer players
American Football League rushing leaders
People from Indiana, Pennsylvania
Syracuse Orange football players
New England Patriots announcers
National Football League announcers
American Football League players