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Starks Earns Second-Team Conference Honors

BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo redshirt freshman James Starks (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) stepped into rare company by earning a place on the second team on the 2006 Mid-American Conference football teams.

James Starks

Starks, a former All-Western New York selection, becomes the just the sixth Bull to earn second-team kudos by the league and the first UB freshman to ever be honored. In its eight-year history in the league, Buffalo has yet to have a first-team All-Conference selection. Starks joins Drew Haddad (1999), Brandon Shaughnessy (2000), Craig Rohlfs (2001), Chad Bartoszek (2002) and Mark Graham (2003) as second-team honorees. Bartoszek is the only Bull to ever be selected to the league’s teams twice, as a junior (honorable mention) and senior (second team).

“I am extremely happy that James has received this kind of recognition for his efforts this season,” said Buffalo head coach Turner Gill. “He has worked hard to earn it, and we are proud to have a player like James, both on and off the field, in our program. His best days are still ahead of him.”

Starks becomes the first Bull to be honored by the league in the past three years after becoming the first freshman to lead Buffalo in rushing since Aaron Leeper turned the trick in 2002. Starks finished his freshman campaign with a team-best 704 yards on 175 carries (4.0 per carry) and tied for the team lead with six touchdowns.

Starks also ranked second on the team in receptions with 34 and was second, to fellow freshman and former Western New York standout Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph’s Collegiate) in all-purpose yards with 937.

Starks had several highlights in his first season in Blue and White. He began his career by rushing for 86 yards and scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Temple in the season opener. Starks would go over 100 yards for the first time in his career versus Miami (113 on 19 carries) and added 68 yards on five receptions in the game. He would have six catches – a career-best – against both Ohio and Boston College.

His finest game of the season came in a win over Kent State. Starks would rack up a career-best 162 yards and score three touchdowns to lead Buffalo to a 41-14 win at a time when the Golden Flashes were tied for first in the MAC East Division. His performance would earn him MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week honors.