James Otis Graham, better known as Scottie, (born March 28, 1969) is a former professional football player who played running back for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Jets (1992), the Minnesota Vikings (1993–1996), and the Cincinnati Bengals (1997).

College

Graham attended Long Beach High School in Long Beach, New York, where he was a high school All-American in three sports: football, wrestling and lacrosse. He continued his football career with a full scholarship to The Ohio State University, lettering four years and starting three years as running back. In his senior year, Graham was elected team captain by his peers. He was drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 1992 NFL Draft.^[1]

Graham continued his graduate studies during the off-season and received his master's degree in Black Studies at Ohio State during his fourth year with the Minnesota Vikings.

Pro career

Graham played six seasons in the NFL with two teams - the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings. He amassed 1,247 rushing yards for his career, all without committing a single fumble across those six seasons. Graham received the Ed Block Courage Award for his exhibition of sportsmanship in 1996.

In 1993, Graham climbed through the ranks of the Vikings depth chart as a running back, finishing the season as Minnesota's leading rusher. By the end of December 1993, his 448 yards placed him 16th in the NFC with zero fumbles.

In one two-game stretch, he rushed for 139 yards against the Green Bay Packers and the following week, rushed for 166 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. These 305 total rushing yards during two games were the most ever by a Viking running back in a two-game stretch. His effort would help ensure the Vikings reached the NFC Playoffs, the second of three straight appearances, in 1993.^[2]

Sports Administration

Graham spent 15 years with the NFL Players Association in Washington, D.C. He began his career as a Regional Director with the trade association; later, he moved to the commercial subsidiary NFL PLAYERS to directly engage players with business partners, as the Director of Player Marketing and Engagement.

From 2014 to 2020, Graham served as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development and Welfare at Arizona State. The role made Graham the lead administrator for student-athlete development and welfare.^[3]

Assistant Coach

Starting in 2021, Graham returned to the football field as an assistant coach in charge of running backs under Jedd Fisch for the Arizona Wildcats. Within three seasons, the Wildcats transformed from a one-win team to a third-place team in the PAC-12 Conference that earned an Alamo Bowl invitation in 2023.^[4]

References