Austin Peay State University Athletics

Deja James joined the Governors Student-Athlete Wellness staff in July 2023 after after serving as assistant director of mental wellness and sports psychology at Kansas State the previous season. While in Manhattan, she provided direct individual and group psychological services and created and presented educational workshops and programming to the Wildcats student-athletes.

A 2019 graduate of Alabama, James began her sports psychology career at her alma mater as a behavioral and mental health and athletic training professional with the Crimson Tide athletics department. In her three seasons in Tuscaloosa, she collaborated with the director of behavioral medicine on all behavioral and mental health programming for Alabama's student-athletes. James also communicated with UA's mental health clinicians, team physicians, coaches, and athletic trainers regarding patients' care.

James earned her bachelor's degree in athletic training at Alabama in 2019. She completed her master's degree in clinical mental health counseling from Alabama in 2021.