As per the sources, James E. James Musuraca died after a long illness.
A gifted athlete and fierce competitor (once called “an animal” by a sportswriter), Jim’s remarkable high school record won him a full-ride football scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, where he played starting linebacker from 1971-73.
Disqualified from the professional sports arena by injury, Jim shook off disappointment and took up the law; he earned his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1977.
Jim served as an Assistant Ohio Attorney General until 1980 before stepping into a long career in civil litigation.
Jim was considered to be among the kindest, gentlest, and funniest of men by all who knew him.
After his retirement in 2017, a degenerative illness of the brain–caused, he believed, by head injuries sustained while playing football– gradually took everything from him it could find.Â
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Former Linebacker James E. James Musuraca Is Survived By His Wife, Erin Moriarty
Sources claimed that a former linebacker at the University of Notre-Dame passed away on Thursday, January 8, 2026, following a long illness.
He is survived by his wife, Erin Moriarty, with whom he met at a Bar and got married in 1983.
They were blessed with a son named Nicholas Musurca, who has been staying away from social media highlights.
Later, James joined his wife and his son in New York City in 1991, and before long his vocabulary expanded to include terms such as “shvitz” and “bupkis.”
Close ones and relatives have poured their heartfelt condolences to James’s family to stay strong in this difficult time.
The family announced that donations in James’s memory may be made to Boston University’s CTE Center.
James will always be remembered for his unforgettable contribution as a linebacker at the University of Notre-Dame.
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