Awards
3x National Champion
2022 All-MVFC First Team
2022 CSC Academic All-District
2022 MVFC Scholar-Athlete First Team
2022 MVFC Defensive Player of the Week
2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
2020-21 AFCA All-America Second Team
2020-21 Stats Perform All-America Second Team
2020-21 Phil Steele All-America Second Team
2020-21 All-MVFC First Team
2020-21 MVFC Performer of the Week
2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team
2020-21 FCS ADA Academic All-Star
2020-21 MVFC All-Academic First Team
2019 MVFC All-Academic Second Team
2019, 2020-21, 2021 MVFC Commissioner’s
Academic Excellence Award
2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2021 MVFC Honor Roll
A former safety, James Kaczor is leaving the NDSU program as one of its great linebackers.
What are you doing now post-graduation?
I’m enrolled in a theological training school called River City Institute. It’s my home church. It’s actually just downtown, right off Main Avenue. I’m doing that schooling part-time. Actually, Jackson Hankey, former Mike linebacker, he’s in that school too. So, we’re in it together. There are like eight or nine students in it. One of our pastors is going through the Bible and teaching us some curriculum. So I’m doing that for two years, part-time, and then I’m working to get on staff at Fellowship of Christian Athletes on campus here. So I’m doing some training right now.
How long have you known you wanted to do that?
It’s kind of a long story, but I’ll try to keep it short. So, I came to college and wasn’t a Christian, never read the Bible before. And then, my sophomore year of college, I read the entire Bible and came to know who Jesus was and what he had done for sinners like me and you. And so, instead of trusting your own goodness, and my own good works, I put my trust in Jesus and his work on the cross. From that point on, I’ve just been studying the word. During my junior year and senior year, I was looking into opportunities like this, whether it be seminary, whether it be somewhere in the United States or elsewhere. And then this opportunity came up and seemed like a really good opportunity for me and my family to build that faith foundation and then go from there.
Were you and Jackson Hankey coincidental parallels or did you go about this together? We talked to him last year at this time and he had a very similar story.
It was kind of coincidental parallels. He came to faith in Christ in college, and around a similar time as I did. So, then we began to study the Bible together and talk about it. And after practice, we’d sit and hang around and talk about it. And then, this opportunity came up. He did it and said it was awesome. And I was like, “alright, man, I’m gonna join you.”
So, are you pretty excited about it?
I’ve had my first two weeks and it’s so much fun. I love it.
What did you study in school here?
Manufacturing Engineering, I’m not exactly using it. Maybe somewhere down the line.
Have you come to grips with the fact that you’re done with football yet?
It definitely hasn’t fully set in and I don’t know when it exactly will. But I’m still grieving just being done. I mean, it’s sad. It was the last five years of my life, and it was so enjoyable and fun. But again, I’m really excited for this next stage of life. My wife is pregnant and I’m really excited about my next stage in life, but there’s still some grieving to do.
Do you know if it’s going to be a boy or a girl yet?
We’ll find out in two weeks. I think we’re gonna keep it a secret if we can.
What are some of your favorite memories from being here on campus?
I’m gonna go outside of football for now and say the relationships I built and formed off the field with teammates and then honestly a lot of people from other sports as well. Being a part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and their Wednesday night huddle where we just get together and go through the Bible and talk about it and hang out has helped me form some really solid relationships. And, of course, meeting my wife was one of my very best moments.
On the football side of it, it’s hard to pin things down. People have been asking me about my favorite play, my favorite game and it’s hard to come up with that stuff. But man, the championships, like the 2019 championship was probably one of my best memories. It was the first year I was actually contributing on the team and that James Madison game was crazy. James Hendricks was one of my best friends and his pick that sealed the game was awesome.
What have you tried to pass on to the other linebackers that are left in the room?
I would say two things. First and foremost would be just my faith and living the Christian life and trying to expose them to what the Bible teaches and the love of Christ and what it means to be a Christian. And then secondly, just what it means to be Bison, which sometimes those two things overlap, which is interesting. In my senior speech, I let the underclassmen know that this organization is unique with its people, its culture and its faith foundation that it’s built upon. I tried to instill that in those young guys and, hopefully, if you interviewed them, they would say I had an impact on them, but only time will tell.
Is there anything else you want to say to our readers?
I love NDSU and I love NDSU football, and this has been the best five years of my life and I’m sad to see it’s over but I’m excited for the future.
