When veteran coach Jack French first laid eyes on high school freshman Shemar James, he had one thought come to mind.

“This is a linebacker if I ever saw one,” French said of that day at Faith Academy in 2018.

James was back at his alma mater Friday morning, being honored the day before he competes in the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Faith Academy went all out to honor the most decorated football player in school history. Accompanied by music and cheers, James was escorted through the halls of the elementary school and middle school before arriving in the gym to a rousing reception from the high school students.

Signs of encouragement greeted him every step of the way.

“It’s great to be back at Faith Academy,” James told the crowd. “My time here was nothing short of amazing.”

James has been a star for the last three years with the Florida Gators, earning him a spot in the Senior Bowl. But it all started at Faith Academy.

After having to sit out as a freshman transfer, he immediately became one of the best players in Mobile. As a junior, he recorded 70 tackles with seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

On offense, James rushed for 268 yards and five touchdowns and made 35 receptions for 473 yards and eight touchdowns. He was slowed by injury during his senior season, but that didn’t stop college recruiters from flocking to Mobile.

James wore a red bow tie as he announced he would sign with Florida over Alabama and Georgia. As a Gator, James started four games as a freshman and has been one of the Florida leaders the last three seasons.

He said he has never stopped appreciating his connection to Faith Academy.

“I believe I set the foundation for the younger kids coming up, so it means the world to me that people think so high highly of me – the teachers, the support staff and even the students,” he said. “It just means the world to me to be back here.”

James is the fourth player to go from Mobile to the University of Florida and back to the Senior Bowl in recent years, joining Murphy’s Solomon Patton (2014), Theodore’s La’Mical Perine (2020) and Blount’s Kadarius Toney (2021). He’s believed to be the first Faith Academy graduate to play in the Senior Bowl, though former South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Wayne began his high school career at Faith before transferring to Spanish Fort (Wayne played in the 2023 Senior Bowl).

“He’s what we want everyone who comes to Faith Academy to be, and that’s a child of the Lord,” French said. “He was on the field for the first playoff game we ever won. He was there when we made it to the state semifinals for the first time. We’ll never forget, no matter what he does in the NFL, what made him great. And that’s what he found right here at Faith Academy.”

James has been one of the standout players during Senior Bowl practices this week, according to executive director Jim Nagy. Now he has one more chance to showcase his talents in his hometown.

“I’m excited to see what the Lord has for my journey in the future,” James said.

Kickoff for the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium, with television coverage on NFL Network. A limited number of tickets remain available and can be purchased at SeniorBowl.com/tickets.