After one dominating season at Jackson State University, James Houston is turning his attention to the NFL.
The 2021 HBCU Gameday/Protect Your Skull FCS Defensive Player of The Year has officially declared for the NFL Draft. He released his announcement via Twitter on Wednesday.
“My lifelong DREAM has always been to play in the NFL, and I am ready to make that dream become a reality. With that being said, I have decided to forgo my final year of eligibility and enter the 2022 NFL DRAFT.”
A Fort Lauderdale, FL native, Houston started his career at the University of Florida. After redshirting as a freshman in 2017, Houston tallied 100 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Houston decided to hit the transfer portal after obtaining his degree from Florida last winter. He eventually landed at Jackson State, and he was just what the doctor ordered.
Listed as a 6’1, 225 pound linebacker, Houston wreaked havoc at JSU from start to finish. After recording one sack in the Orange Blossom Classic against FAMU, he had 10 tackles and 4.5 sacks against Tennessee State in Week Two. He had four multi-sack games, including the Celebration Bowl, and recorded sacks in 10 of JSU’s 13 games. Houston’s total of 16.5 sacks per game finished second in the nation and the SWAC. He also forced seven fumbles and recovered two fumbles against Alabama A&M in a blowout win.
James Houston received numerous All-American honors and has been selected to play in both the NFLPA Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game. His head coach, Deion Sanders, recently compared him to Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys.
“Parsons is a freak man,” Sanders told Rich Eisen. “He is a darn freak man. We have a kid who plays defensive end that was an inside linebacker that we moved to defensive end. He was All-SWAC, All-FCS, James Houston came to us from the University of Florida.”
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