James Edward McAlister (September 5, 1951 – March 31, 2018) was an American football running back in the National Football League during the 1970s. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the 1974 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA, where he was also a star on the track and field team. He had the best long jump in the world in 1973 set at home in Westwood. McAlister also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1971. McAlister died on March 31, 2018 in Corona, California.