| Preacher Pilot | |
| Position: | Halfback |
| Birth Date: | 22 January 1941 |
| Birth Place: | Kleberg County, Texas, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 11 |
| Weight Lbs: | 195 |
| High School: | Kingsville HS |
| College: | New Mexico State |
| Nfldraftedyear: | 1963 |
| Nfldraftedround: | 5 |
| Nfldraftedpick: | 63 |
| Nfldraftedteam: | San Francisco 49ers |
| Afldraftedyear: | 1963 |
| Afldraftedround: | 14 |
| Afldraftedpick: | 112 |
| Afldraftedteam: | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Playing Years1: | 1964–1966 |
| Playing Team1: | Indianapolis Warriors / Fort Wayne Warriors / Montreal Beavers |
| Playing Years2: | 1966 |
| Playing Team2: | Norfolk Neptunes |
| Career Highlights: |
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James Isaac "Preacher" Pilot Jr. (January 22, 1941 - January 2, 1991) was an American football player. He played for the New Mexico State Aggies football team from 1961 to 1963.[1] He led the country in rushing yardage in both 1961 with 1,278 yards and in 1962 with 1,247 yards.[2] [3] [4] He was the first player since Tom Harmon to lead the country in rushing yardage in consecutive years.[5] He also led the NCAA major colleges in scoring with 138 points (13.8 points per game) in 1961.[6]
Pilot grew up in Kingsville, Texas. He initially attended the University of Kansas on a basketball scholarship and, after one year, transferred to New Mexico State.[7] He was inducted into the New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame.[8] He died in 1991 at age 49 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.