 Prior to attending college, he served in the Army as a staff sergeant in the infantry, which included a tour-of-duty in Europe.Jim David was a member of three Detroit Lions World Championship teams in the 1950s, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Detroit history.The six-time Pro Bowler (1955–60) roamed in the Lions secondary, often referred to as "Chris' Crew", for eight seasons (1952–59) after being drafted out of Colorado A&M.