Analy athlete looks beyond hurdles

Eighteen-year-old Ja’Narrick James may be small in stature, but he has always appeared bigger than life to those he encounters on the football field.

At 5 feet, 5 inches and 165 pounds, James might seem an unlikely candidate for the spot as Analy High School’s star running back. He credits that success to a family of athletes who inspired him with their anything-is-possible attitude and, while accumulating an impressive cache of his own athletic awards, has dedicated himself to sharing that message with younger West County players.

“My parents have always, always, always told me to follow my dreams,” James said. “Whatever I want to be, an astronaut, the president, they say to go for it and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t.

“According to my parents, I’ve been saying I want to play in the NFL since I was 5 years old,” James said. “That’s my goal.”

After graduating on June 4, he hopes to earn a starting position at City College of San Francisco and then transfer to a four-year university, preferably a Division 1 school with a scholarship offer.

“I’m not from a family that can afford college in this day and age,” he said.

And because James knows the career of a running back is short-lived, he always has had a back-up plan to study kinesiology and become a personal trainer or strength and conditioning coach.

Ricky and Swonnettia James knew early on that their only child was born to run, whether speeding toward a touchdown, racing down the basketball court or sprinting to a finish line.

Although small as a boy, he started his football career at 8 with West County Pop Warner league football and, in middle school, watched as teammates and opponents hit their growth spurts while he did not. Undeterred, James worked longer, tried harder, ran faster and devoted more hours to football than he can count.

His parents taught him to maintain faith, look beyond his size and never give up, he said, attributes that helped him make Analy’s varsity football team as a sophomore. During his years at Analy, he was a standout athlete in football, basketball and track and field, with All-North Coast and Sonoma County League awards in triple and long jump and 4x100 relay, an SCL title for basketball and three consecutive SCL championships for football.

North Bay sports editors have described him as a “human comet,” “elusive and mercurial,” and this month he was a finalist for the Press Democrat’s All-Empire Athlete of the Year award.

“I play a lot bigger than I actually am,” he said. “I have a mindset that size doesn’t matter.”

James said his grit and determination come in large part from his parents, both athletes in their own right. His father was a standout in high school basketball, baseball and football, and his mother a “phenomenal” prep softball, volleyball and basketball player. As adults, they also have instilled a strong work ethic, his father as a custodian at Analy and his mother as a preschool teacher.

“You go look at my family, and it’s all athletes across the board. It’s in our genes to play sports,” he said.

Cousins Andre Taylor and Kahlil Bell played collegiate football, with Bell spending five years in the NFL.

James also points to his 23-year-old cousin Tierra King, who helped through good times and bad; his late Uncle Clyde, whose optimism he inherited; and his maternal grandfather, a three-time cancer survivor.

“He’s the fearless part of me,” James said. “I’ve never been scared of an opponent because of his size or athletic abilities. I get that from my grandpa.”

While making a name for himself as a student athlete, James also became a role model.

“At first it was kind of weird. I had a little fan club,” he said. “As I got older I realized it was more of a responsibility. I had to keep myself on track and do the right thing.”

At the urging of a coach who knew his passion for the sport, James started helping out with the West County Tigers program. He has coached boys ages 10 to 15, pushing for wins but modeling behavior to cope with losses.

“Football really is a game of life lessons,” James said. “Football is art to me.”

The All-League 2014 Player of the Year and All-Empire 2014 Offensive Player of the Year said individual awards are great, but there was no greater achievement than being part of Analy’s three-time SCL championship football team.

“I couldn’t be closer to these guys if they were blood brothers,” he said.

After his own strenuous team workouts, James also stuck around to help players in the West County Youth Football program, often returning home well after dark. During his four years at Analy, he racked up 1,200 hours as a volunteer coach and trainer, tutor and mentor.

Joseph Heil, his high school guidance counselor, said James is a “living inspiration” to the young Pop Warner players he assists and their parents, including Angie and Justin Lewis and their five sons, who range in age from 21 months to 14.

“They idolize him,” Angie Lewis said. “He has always been larger than life and gives all of himself into everything he does.”.

With a long list of athletics awards, titles and championships to his credit, James is proof that not every football player has to be big to be successful. Passion and perseverance compensate for any disparities in height and bulk.

“If you go and ask any kids in West County, they’ll tell you size doesn’t matter,” James said. “They’ll say, ‘Go look at Ja’Narrick.’ All that matters is your heart and all the fight you have inside you.”