Nance, "Jim" (James S.)
Football
b. Dec. 30, 1942, Indiana, PA
d. June 16, 1992
A three-year starter at fullback for Syracuse University, Nance won the NCAA heavyweight wrestling championship in 1963 and 1965. The powerful, 6-foot-1 Nance played at 235 pounds in college, but he weighed nearly 260 pounds when he joined the Boston Patriots of the American Football League in 1965 and he never really got into season that season.
At 240 pounds in 1966, Nance led the AFL in rushing with 1,458 yards on 299 carries, both all-time league records, and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. He was named the AFL's player of the year. The following season, he again led the league with 1,216 yards in 269 attempts.
The Patriots traded Nance to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1972 but he refused to play and temporarily retired. He returned to football with the New York Jets in 1973 and ended his career with the World Football League's Memphis Southmen in 1974. During his 8 seasons in the AFL and NFL, he gained 5,461 yards in 1,341 attempts and scored 45 rushing touchdowns. He caught 133 passes for 870 yards, a 6.,5 average, and 1 touchdown.