James Letcher Jr.
{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1999)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography
|name=James Letcher Jr.
|team=Montreal Alouettes
|image=2024, 89, James Letcher Jr.jpg
|image_upright=1
|caption=Letcher Jr. with the Montreal Alouettes in 2024
|status=Active
|import=yes
|position1=Wide receiver
Kick returner
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1999|7|21}}
|birth_place= Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
|number=89
|college=Washburn (2017-2022)
|high_school=
|Height_ft=5
|Height_in=8
|Weight_lbs=175
|playing_years1={{CFL Year|2023}}–present
|playing_team1=Montreal Alouettes
|career_footnotes=
|career_highlights=
|CFL=james-letcher-jr/167576/
}}
James Letcher Jr. (born July 21, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver and kick returner for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
College career
Letcher played college football for the Washburn Ichabods from 2017 to 2022.{{cite web|url=https://wusports.com/sports/football/roster/james-letcher--jr-/7372 |title=James Letcher Jr. |publisher=Washburn Ichabods |access-date=November 13, 2023}} He used a redshirt medical season in 2018 after suffering a season-ending injury after three games and did not play in 2020 due to the season being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He appeared in 48 games, making 31 starts at receiver, where he had 228 receptions for 2,992 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also had three kickoff return touchdowns and two punt return touchdowns as he finished his career as Washburn's all-time leader with 5,623 all-purpose yards.
Professional career
On May 17, 2023, it was announced that Letcher had been signed by the Montreal Alouettes.{{cite web|url=https://www.bgmsportstrax.com/2023/05/17/montreal-alouettes-sign-wrs-james-letcher-jr-and-john-brunner/ |title=Montreal Alouettes sign WRs James Letcher Jr. and John Brunner |publisher=bgmsportstrax.com |date=May 17, 2023}} Following training camp, he accepted a practice roster spot to begin the 2023 season as he was unable to surpass the team's incumbent kick returner, Chandler Worthy.{{cite web|url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2023/06/03/alouettes-finalize-2023-roster/ |title=Alouettes finalize 2023 roster |publisher=Montreal Alouettes |date=June 3, 2023}} However, Worthy was injured in week 16 and Letcher made his professional debut on September 30, 2023, against the Ottawa Redblacks, where he had five punt returns for 90 yards and two kickoff returns for 69 yards, including a long of 50 yards.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6371/ottawa-redblacks-vs-montreal-alouettes/ |title=Ottawa Redblacks vs Montreal Alouettes |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=September 30, 2023}} Two weeks later, on October 14, 2023, Letcher returned a missed field goal 125 yards for his first career touchdown.{{cite web|url=https://cdn.ticats.ca/app/uploads/ticats/2023/11/02223013/2023_CFL_Gm_Notes_91_Mtl_vs_Ham_ESF.pdf |title=Games Notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=November 13, 2023}} In the team's final game of the regular season, on October 28, 2023, he returned a punt 99 yards for a touchdown in the 22–20 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played in four games during the regular season where he had 23 punt returns for 392 yards and one touchdown, five kickoff returns for 109 yards, and one missed field goal return for 125 yards and one touchdown.
Letcher also played in both playoff games and halted a comeback from the Toronto Argonauts in the East Final when he returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown to restore a three-score lead for the Alouettes en route to a victory and a berth in the 110th Grey Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2023/11/11/dominant-defence-als-punch-ticket-to-gc110-with-win-over-argos/ |title=Dominant defence: Als punch ticket to GC110 with win over Argos |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 11, 2023}} In the Grey Cup game, he had three kickoff returns for 77 yards and two punt returns for negative five yards in the Alouettes' victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Personal life
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://en.montrealalouettes.com/players/james-letcher-jr/167576/ Montreal Alouettes bio]
- {{commonscatinline}}
{{Montreal Alouettes roster navbox}}
{{110th Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letcher, James Jr.}}
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Canadian football wide receivers
Category:Montreal Alouettes players
Category:Players of American football from Kansas
Category:Sportspeople from Kansas City, Kansas