‘A real nice guy who is serious on the field’: Former Coeur d’Alene standout Josh James was teamed up with a rookie Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City

Josh James plans to wear a Kansas City Chiefs jersey on Sunday.

This wasn’t a Super Bowl-inspired purchase. He stretched the same No. 66 over his shoulder pads three seasons ago.

James, a Coeur d’Alene High product who went on to become an NAIA All-American at Carroll College in Helena, was a member of the Chiefs’ organization in 2017, lasting until the final round of 53-man roster cuts.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive tackle went undrafted in 2016 before stints with the Green Bay Packers, Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. He now works in construction management.

James, who helped Coeur d’Alene win a state title in 2010, has enjoyed following the Chiefs’ success and pursuit of their second straight Super Bowl win, facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

James cherished his few months in the Midwest city and understood that NFL career would likely be short.

“It was a great experience,” said James, who appeared in the Chiefs’ preseason games. “Great facilities, great teams. Everyone from the janitors, to the kitchen staff. Everyone was bought in.”

A great rookie quarterback, too.

Patrick Mahomes was drafted 10th overall in 2017 out of Texas Tech and initially backed up Alex Smith before becoming the league’s most dangerous quarterback.

Mahomes, a dynamic dual threat and one of the league’s primary figures, worked with the first and second string when James was the roster.

James was primarily a third-string player who got a front-row ticket to the Mahomes show.

“A real nice guy who was serious on the field,” James said. “There was a practice when he threw a 70-yard bomb off his back foot and hit the receiver in perfect stride.

“That was when we knew that, yeah, this guy is pretty good.”

A hamstring injury led to James being cut by the Packers before the regular season. He liked his time in Buffalo, too.

“I was definitely torn about the AFC championship game between the Chiefs and Bills (two weeks ago),” James said.

James, whose younger brother Matt James went on to start games with the Washington Huskies, was thankful for his time in the league.

The prospect of playing football beyond college didn’t surface until his senior year at Carroll. In 2007, the Chiefs had drafted Whitworth tight end Michael Allen in the seventh round.

“I didn’t really expect to be there,” James said. “When scouts started showing up at Carroll my senior year, things got serious.”