It’s hard to say you feel bad for Ja’Wuan James when you consider all the heartache that being a first round pick and the millions of dollars that comes with the territory can reconcile. But,  if you look back at the four-year starter’s time with the Tennessee Volunteers, it’s hard not to at least wish, for his sake, that things had turned out differently.

There was a time when if you came to Tennessee, broke camp starting at right tackle as a true freshman and went on to start a school record 49 games, you’d be celebrated among the all-time greats. Chances are, you’d have played on some pretty damn good teams, as well.

Unfortunately, James’ four years at Tennessee happened to coincide with the most miserable stretch this historic program has ever seen.

In his 49 starts, the Tennessee Volunteers accumulated a 21-28 record. Ja’Wuan James went to one bowl game as a freshman, and despite whatever bowl swag he might have left over, there aren’t many fond memories to be had from the 2010 Music City Bowl.

No, it wasn’t all bad. With a lineup seemingly full of freshman, the Vols won six games in his first year on campus, and they very nearly beat LSU on the road. Given everything they had coming back, it seemed like James would be a cog in the revival of the program.

As a junior, James anchored the right side of an offensive line that protected one of the most potent passing attacks in the SEC. As a senior, with Butch Jones at the helm and a new energy surging through the program, James was in the trenches, battling against a vaunted South Carolina defensive front as the Vols beat their first ranked opponent since the Bush administration.

He made lifelong friends–the bond between himself, Zach Fulton and James Stone (all four-year starters on the offensive line) was well-documented–and he earned a degree. Those are all accomplishments that you can build a life around.

However, the fact of the matter remains. When Ja’Wuan James came out of North Gwinnett High School as a highly-touted recruit, he had an expectation of winning football games.

It never worked out.

Yet, despite all the tumult and what-ifs–multiple position coaches, two different head coaches and offensive coordinators, and all the insufferable losses–Ja’Wuan James carved out a corner for himself in the history of Tennessee football.

He started more games than any offensive lineman in the history of the Tennessee Volunteers–more than Chad Clifton, Michael Munoz and every other big ugly to ever dawn the Orange and White–and while we all dote on the brightening skies in lieu of Butch Jones’ Top 10 recruiting class in 2014 and another solid start to the 2015 class, Ja’Wuan James was the stalwart of #Team117.

He was the biggest brick on the team that started to pave it all.

Last week, when James was selected 19th overall by the Miami Dolphins, some actively wondered if new Miami Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey was reaching, despite the fact that when you read a scouting report–any scouting report–the only real negative anybody can seem to find goes something like this:

“He’s tall, and like most tall people, at times, he can struggle with pad level.”

Of course, that sentiment is the last thing (and sometimes the only thing) you read in the “weaknesses” section, and it’s almost always preceded by a glowing review in the “strengths” tab.

Here’s what CBSSports.com’s Rob Rang had to say in his scouting report on James:

Alert and comfortable at right tackle. Recognizes stunts and line games. Surprising initial quickness, lateral agility and flexibility for his monstrous frame. Powerful and competitive with grit to knock defenders off the ball and continue downfield. Plays to dominate one-on-one battles, letting his hands to the work with good body control. Can slide to protect the edge against the variety of speed rushers faced in the SEC. Technically sound, maintains position to mirror. Surprisingly light feet, natural power and quickness off the ball. Could play guard.

Ja’Wuan James is a nice guy who surprises people with his tenacity on the football field, and despite being the guy who started 49 games and won just 21 times, his career at Tennessee is something we’ll eventually look back and beam upon (if you don’t already).

That’s because he was the embodiment of excellence at the University of Tennessee even in a time when Tennessee football was far from excellent.