James Burgess Jr. (born February 19, 2002) is an American professional football defensive back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Alabama State Hornets.
Early life Burgess was born on February 19, 2002, in Center Point, Alabama. He attended Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama.
College career Burgess played college football for the Alabama State Hornets from 2020 to 2024. In 40 games, he had 94 tackles, including four for loss, one sack, six interceptions, 21 pass break ups, one forced fumble and fumble recovery. As a senior, Burgess earned first-team All-SWAC and second-team FCS All-American honors.
Professional career On February 13, 2026, Burgess was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). On May 30, he was released by the team. On June 23, Burgess re-signed with the Roughriders. On July 31, he was elevated to the active roster and made four tackles in his CFL debut against the Edmonton Elks. On August 6, Burgess reverted to the practice roster. On August 26, he was re-signed to the active roster and made his first start on August 29 against the Toronto Argonauts. In a 28–24 win, Burgess recorded his first career interception.
References
External links Saskatchewan Roughriders bio Alabama State Hornets bio