Alumni Spotlight: LaMichael James
04/03/23 | Order of the O
The Former UO Star Running Back Opened a Killer Burger Location in Eugene in 2023
Before he put together a career worthy of the College Football Hall of Fame, before he was a cog in the Oregon football machine that won three conference titles during his career, LaMichael James had an entrepreneurial spirit.
"I always wanted to own something," said James, a native of Texarkana, Texas, who rushed for more than 5,000 yards with the Ducks from 2009-11. "At first it was an auto-body shop, because I was really into old-school cars and restoring them. But I always wanted to be my own boss."
Those dreams of opening a small business while James was in high school soon took a back seat to his identity as a football player, first with the Ducks and then in the NFL. But since hanging up his cleats, James has indeed realized his dreams of running a business. Recently he opened his third location in the state of Oregon as a franchisee for Killer Burger, the newest location in the city where he starred for the Ducks, Eugene.
An aversion to math kept James from majoring in business at the University of Oregon. But his time as a UO student equipped him to run a business, both through his academic pursuits and his experience in athletics.
"Playing football and being accountable, being reliable, being on time, having that structure, that helps you so much in life," James said. "You have a different understanding of how to deal with adversity, how to work as a team. The biggest thing is, can I trust you to get things done?"
When he became a business owner, James said, "I could see why quarterbacks make all the money in the NFL — they're basically responsible for everything." But just as James was a talented returner as well as a running back in football, and also a contributor for Oregon's storied track and field program, he plays multiple roles at his restaurants.
Drop in at one of his two Killer Burger locations in the Portland area, or the new location in Eugene, and you're just as likely to see James helping man the grill or help tidy up a restroom as other, more traditional managerial roles.
"That's just based on how I grew up," James said. "I can't tell someone else to do something I won't do. And I like to lead by example. I'm really big on setting a tone of hard work — so I've got to get in there and get my hands dirty as well."
Before taking over his own store, James said, he worked multiple jobs at existing Killer Burger locations. He wanted a holistic sense of day-to-day operations, and to be able to train new employees with an understanding of the jobs they would fill.
Now, he's the guy in charge. Name recognition led to a flood of customers when James opened his Eugene location. But it'll take hard work to keep business humming, he knows.
"They come in here the first time for me, but they come back for the food," James said. "If the food isn't good, if the service isn't good, they're not going to come back."
"I always wanted to own something," said James, a native of Texarkana, Texas, who rushed for more than 5,000 yards with the Ducks from 2009-11. "At first it was an auto-body shop, because I was really into old-school cars and restoring them. But I always wanted to be my own boss."
Those dreams of opening a small business while James was in high school soon took a back seat to his identity as a football player, first with the Ducks and then in the NFL. But since hanging up his cleats, James has indeed realized his dreams of running a business. Recently he opened his third location in the state of Oregon as a franchisee for Killer Burger, the newest location in the city where he starred for the Ducks, Eugene.
An aversion to math kept James from majoring in business at the University of Oregon. But his time as a UO student equipped him to run a business, both through his academic pursuits and his experience in athletics.
"Playing football and being accountable, being reliable, being on time, having that structure, that helps you so much in life," James said. "You have a different understanding of how to deal with adversity, how to work as a team. The biggest thing is, can I trust you to get things done?"
When he became a business owner, James said, "I could see why quarterbacks make all the money in the NFL — they're basically responsible for everything." But just as James was a talented returner as well as a running back in football, and also a contributor for Oregon's storied track and field program, he plays multiple roles at his restaurants.
Drop in at one of his two Killer Burger locations in the Portland area, or the new location in Eugene, and you're just as likely to see James helping man the grill or help tidy up a restroom as other, more traditional managerial roles.
"That's just based on how I grew up," James said. "I can't tell someone else to do something I won't do. And I like to lead by example. I'm really big on setting a tone of hard work — so I've got to get in there and get my hands dirty as well."
Before taking over his own store, James said, he worked multiple jobs at existing Killer Burger locations. He wanted a holistic sense of day-to-day operations, and to be able to train new employees with an understanding of the jobs they would fill.
Now, he's the guy in charge. Name recognition led to a flood of customers when James opened his Eugene location. But it'll take hard work to keep business humming, he knows.
"They come in here the first time for me, but they come back for the food," James said. "If the food isn't good, if the service isn't good, they're not going to come back."
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