James Starks

A native of Niagara Falls, New York, James Starks was a three-sport standout at Niagara Falls High School, competing in track and field, basketball and football.

On the track he was one of the top performers in New York State in the long jump and the 100-meter dash. He was also the critical sixth man on the team’s 2005 state championship basketball team.

However, it was on the gridiron that Starks proved to be nearly unstoppable. As a dual threat, he ran for 1,048 yards and threw for over 600 yards, earning All-Western New York honors as a senior. He was a leader off the field as well and served as a team captain for 3 years.

Following his graduation, Starks attended the University at Buffalo and continued to excel on the football field. As a member of the Bulls, he was one of the elite backs in the Mid-American Conference. He was the first UB freshman to earn All-MAC recognition and became the first 1,000-yard rusher in the Bulls’ Division I-A era. He set a career rushing record with 3,140 yards and scored 40 total touchdowns. He registered back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as a sophomore and junior. He earned second-team All-MAC honors as a freshman and sophomore and was named to the All-MAC First Team as a junior.

Despite not playing in his senior year due to a shoulder injury, Starks was drafted in the 6th round by the Green Bay Packers. In his first season with Green Bay, Starks was a key offensive weapon in the postseason. He broke the Packers’ post-season record for rushing yards in a Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles and scored a TD against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game. In Superbowl XLV he rushed for 52 yards, helping the Packers secure the championship over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In his seven NFL seasons with the Packers, Starks had 2,506 regular season rushing yards, 1,017 receiving yards and 15 TDs. He added another 523 rushing yards during the post-season.

Starks retired after the 2016 season and was inducted into the Niagara Falls High School Hall of Fame in 2023.