James Cameron became football coach at Howard Payne in 1968 with a four-year plan to bring a conference championship to a school that hadn’t won one since 1954. The Commerce native and East Texas State graduate made good on his promise, leading Howard Payne to a 10-1-1 record and the Lone Star Conference co-championship in 1970. Howard Payne then won the inaugural Cowboy Bowl in Lawton, Okla. The Yellow Jackets were ranked as high as No. 3 in the NAIA during the season. Cameron was responsible for recruiting Ken Sanders and Robert Woods to Howard Payne before the two combined to play a dozen years in the NFL. After compiling a 21–20–2 record at Howard Payne, Angelo State hired him as head coach to follow the legendary Grant Teaff. He coached there for four years before returning to the high school ranks in Garland, Kilgore, Rockwall and Sulphur Springs. He died at the age of 56 in Sulphur Springs in 1995, compiling an overall head coaching record of 208–79–13.