James Dye
Wide Receiver #6
Ht/Wt
5'
9"
|
150 lbs.
Class
Senior
Hometown
Los Angeles, 
California
Last School
Utah State
Roster Years
1995-1996


Career Summary

James Dye attended both Utah State and Utah Valley State College before transferring to BYU. He ranked No. 1 nationally in punt returns with a 12.2-yard average and was the Western Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year his junior year. Dye was named the AT&T Long Distance Player of the Year for Punt Returns as a junior and then a co-winner of the same award his senior year. A 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against UTEP earned him the award the following season, tying WAC, school and Cougar Stadium records. He received first-team All-WAC honors both his junior and senior year. Dye was also a two-time winner of the Cougar Club Crowd-Pleaser Award as well as the team Special Teams MVP. 

Professional

  • Signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins in 1997

Personal

  • Born in Oakland, California
  • Parents are James Dye and Anne M. Dansby
  • Married Carolyn Simon
  • Majored in psychology

Before BYU

  • Graduated from Crenshaw High in Los Angeles and hleped the Cougars to the Pacific Conference title and LA City Championship
  • Lettered twice at Utah State
  • Named to the All-Big West Second Team as a kickoff return specialist in 1993
  • Led the Big West in punt returns and finished eighth nationally with a 12.2-yard average
  • Attended Utah Valley State College in 1994, which does not have a football program
BYU Hall of Fame

Freshman Year

Sophmore Year

Junior Year 1995

  • No. 1 in NCAA punt returns at 21.9
  • AT&T Long Distance Player of the Year for Punt Returns, WAC Special Teams Player of the Year, First team All-Western Athletic Conference, Special Teams and WAC Player of the Week vs. SDSU and Wyoming
  • Selected as team special teams player of the year
  • Had an 84-yard TD punt return vs. SDSU and was named AT&T Long Distance Player of the Week
  • Had 46-yard punt return at CSU
  • 90-yard TD punt return vs. Wyoming for Cougar Stadium record and was named AT&T Long Distance Award Winner
  • 39-yard kickoff return vs. Wyoming
  • 75-yard punt return vs. Tulsa
  • Started at cornerback at New Mexico in place of injured Dermmell Reed where he had six unassisted tackles and recovered a fumble
Senior Year 1996

  • Selected All-WAC by the coaches
  • Repeat winner of Cougar Club Crowd-Pleaser Award
  • Special teams MVP as selected by the BYU coaches
  • Scored a TD vs. Texas A&M as a wide receiver
  • Had a leg contusion vs. Arkansas State, Utah State and UTEP
  • Coaches' special teams player of the game vs. Arkansas Sate
  • 38-yard punt return vs. Washington
  • 23-yard punt return vs. New Mexico
  • 34-yard punt return and a 25-yard rush vs. SMU
  • 79-yard punt return TD at Utah State and was selected as Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division special teams player of the week
  • Had a 28-yard catch vs. UNLV
  • 38-yard TD catch at Tulsa
  • Had a 28-yard kickoff return at TCU
  • Had a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD vs. UTEP to tie WAC, school and Cougar Stadium records
  • Was selected as co-winner of the AT&T Long Distance Award for that kickoff return
  • Had a 67-yard punt return for TD vs. Rice and was chosen WAC Special Teams player of the week & coaches' co-special teams player of the game
  • Injured MCL at Hawai'i
  • Caught a 32-yard pass against Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl
  • Tied school record for most TDs on punt returns in a career, set by Golden Richards
Graduate Year

Redshirt Year

Medical Redshirt Year



  • Football | Sep, 22

    Celebrating 20th anniversary of 1997 Cotton Bowl