The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
CCSU’s James building NFL worthy resume
Converted QB from Middletown one of top receivers in FCS
NEW BRITAIN — Central Connecticut wide receiver Tyshaun James made football look easy in 2019, helping the Blue Devils to the Northeast Conference championship and a FCS playoff appearance. He had 48 receptions for 978 yards and nine touchdowns.
“The hardest thing,” he said, “was taking the pads off.”
That post-game maneuver was, indeed, uncomfortable — all that stretching and squirming. Because most of what James accomplished as a junior came despite a torn shoulder labrum sustained in the Blue Devils’ third of 13 games.
James underwent surgery in January 2020, after Central finished 11-2 in coach Ryan McCarthy’s first year, and the world changed due to the pandemic as he wrapped up rehabilitation a few months later. Now he’s back, 100 percent healthy, looking to lead Central to new heights — “Getting to a national championship,” James said — and hoping to use his senior season as a springboard to the NFL.
The Blue Devils, who did not play in 2020, open the season Friday at home against Southern Connecticut.
“He’s got the talent,” McCarthy said of James’ NFL potential.
He’s got the look, too. James is 6 feet, 3 inches tall. He weighs 217 pounds. He bench presses 400plus pounds, squats 500. He runs the 40-yard-dash in 4.5 seconds. That’s not quite DK Metcalf. But it’s representative of what you see on many NFL rosters — and very few FCS college rosters.
Nearly every NFL team has visited the New Britain campus to scout James either during spring practice or preseason camp, Mc
Carthy said.
“He had a lot of (FBS) interest but nobody wanted to commit to him playing quarterback and nobody knew what he was,” McCarthy said of James’ recruitment in 2016. “He’s had a lot of NFL interest and now, I think they’re trying to gauge what he is.”
James was an all-state quarterback at Middletown High, spending his first two years as a backup to his cousin, Dario Highsmith, who went on to play at Wesleyan — as a receiver. James, also an all-state defensive back, was recruited by the staff of former Central coach Pete Rossomando (with McCarthy then the offensive coordinator) as a quarterback.
Coaches valued his overall athletic ability, though. James actually thought he’d become an outside linebacker or safety. But with a few receivers injured — and with NFL-bound Jake Dolegala the unquestioned starter at quarterback — James was asked if he was interested in becoming a wideout.
He embraced the opportunity as a means to play sooner than later. James appeared in eight games as a freshman. He had 20 catches, four of them touchdowns, in 11 games as a sophomore.
In 2019, James put together one of the best seasons by any FCS receiver. His torn labrum was probably due to wear and tear, but he didn’t feel it until hitting the turf hard in Week 3 against Valparaiso, a game in which he had four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.
“After the game, I was like, ‘What do you do with that?’ ” James said. “They said surgery. I said, ‘I’m not going to get surgery.’ ”
James went on to be named an All-NEC firstteam player. He rushed for five touchdowns, giving him 14 total, which ranked 23rd in the nation. He was second in receiving yards, second in receiving touchdowns
and 12th in yards second team that season. and Nadine Turner, help on per reception (20.38). Linebacker J’von Brown, of that front, too.
Then he did finally have Norwich, was a 2018 second-team An economics major, surgery and — this is significant FCS All-American James is also organizing a — he stayed put, as a sophomore but coat drive in Middletown home in Connecticut, at limited to four games with during the Blue Devils’ bye CCSU. a shoulder injury in 2019. week in October — an initiative
“He was an in-state kid Aaron Dawson, a FirstTeam inspired by his volunteer who was, from a physical All-NEC player in work at a soup standpoint, above our level, 2018, returns as the top kitchen while in high if you will,” McCarthy said. running back after missing school. “We saw him as an FBS most of 2019 with a broken He has 11 regular season talent. Realistically, if we foot. games remaining. Scouts went in the (transfer) portal, Junior Romelo Williams, will keep visiting. His senior he could have gone of Mirimar, Fla., is the season could get him anywhere. If they saw him starting quarterback, replacing an NFL contract. in the portal and watched Aaron Winchester, Dolegala is currently his game film, he could who in 2019 — with James with the Green Bay Packers. have gone to a Florida State as his top target — was the He spent last season or somewhere in the SEC. NEC Offensive Player of the with the Patriots’ practice Tyshaun looks like those Year. Winchester is now the squad, a year after becoming guys at Alabama. I don’t Blue Devils’ tight ends the first CCSU player to know where he’d be on the coach. make a 53-man NFL roster depth chart but ...” Junior Jiovany Pierre, of (with the Bengals) since
But he’d be on a roster. Somerville, Mass., Junior lineman Rich Ranglin with “He was open to anything,” Kyren Petteway, of Waterbury the Chiefs in 2012. McCarthy said. “But and Kingswood-Oxford, James called attending I think what happened is and Everett Wormley, Central “the best decision I the NFL scouts came in and a senior transfer from Rutgers, ever made.” He wants to said, ‘I know the fad is to are also key receivers. leave a winner. go where you think the “Talent-wise, we have all “This is probably the grass is greener, but it’s in the pieces,” McCarthy said. most talented team we’ve your best interest to stay “Now I want us to be the had, but talent doesn’t really where you’re the guy.’ You team we want to be. We win you championships,” go to Florida State as the haven’t played in almost James said. “It’s about the fourth or fifth guy and have two years. What’s it going right mindset and having 10 or 15 catches, you’re not to be like when things are people lead by example. I going to be as enamored.” not going our way? I want still have a lot more I want
The Blue Devils return to see what kind of integrity to accomplish. We know most key players from the we have, what kind of we’re capable of winning a 2019 championship team. resilience.” conference, so now it’s
Senior linebacker Trevante James brings swagger. He about a national championship.” Jones, of Providence, has a name, image and was a First-Team All-NEC likeness deal with Dillgence linebacker in 2019. Senior Training in East Hartford. cornerback Dexter Lawson, He has a brand manager. of Bloomfield, was All-NEC His parents, Tyrone James