Jim earned the distinction of being the only quarterback in Raiders history to never lose a game. Playing for two years under coach Harry Gilbert, Jim led the team to back-to-back 11-0 records and two Central States Football League (CSFL) championships.
“Bob Milkie was my center,” Jim said from his Racine home in 2004. “I’m honored to have been part of such a great team, during such a great era.”
One of Jim’s most memorable moments came with a 97 yard TD pass to tight end Ron Anton, a league record that held up for six years. Another is beating Elmhurst for the CSFL championship.
“It was three degrees above zero,” Jim remembers about that game. “We used charcoal grills on the sidelines to keep us warm! The footballs were hard to hang onto to; they were like glass.” (The Raiders beat Elmhurst 7-0 on a quarterback sneak.)
Jim, who was named the leagues MVP after the 1965 season, worked in Johnson Wax’s corporate public relations office for 34 years before retiring. He and Carol, his wife, have seven children and twelve grandchildren.
Jim’s number was retired in 1988.
