The Uppsala 86ers have bolstered their defense with the signing of linebacker William James.
James is coming off a highly successful season in Finland’s Maple League playing for the Helsinki Wolverines. In helping the Wolverines reach the Finnish final, the Maple Bowl, he was the second leading tackler in the league during the regular season with 29.5 tackles in his four games. James then recorded 16.5 tackles in the semifinal game and the championship.
The 28 year old, 5’11”, 195 pound native of Sweden, was the sole selection from the CFL Swedish Global Combine held in Stockholm earlier this year after actually spending last year playing rugby in Australia. From 2016 to 2018, he was a mainstay in the defensive secondary for the Dresden Monarchs in the German Football League, amassing a total of 313 tackles over three seasons. He started his football career with the Arlanda Jets in Sweden before deciding in 2011 that he wanted to give college football a try in the United States. He sent out letters to schools and North Dakota allowed him to walk on. After two years he had earned a scholarship. James, who finished his career with the Fighting Hawks with a total of 103 tackles, started at safety off and on in the final two years of his career finally finding a more permanent spot on the team in his senior season.
The Uppsala 86ers wind up the Swedish Superserien regular season, Saturday, September 26 when they face the Örebro Black Knights, and James will be in the lineup.