 Ohio State won its first national championship in 1942 when James was on the team.After a three-year stint in the U.S. Army during World War II, James returned to play a final season at Ohio State in 1946.He then signed with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), where he stayed for a year before rejoining Brown, who had become head coach of the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).