LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels is one of the most prolific players in college football this season – there’s a reason why he’s a contender for the Heisman Trophy this late in the season. But it’s what Daniels does off the field that has head coach Brian Kelly so impressed.
During a press conference this week, Brian Kelly heaped praise on his quarterback not for what he does on the field, but for what kind of person he is off the field and in the locker room.
“Approachable – and, when I say approachable, I mean he has never been a guy that has built a bubble around himself,” Kelly said according to On3. “He has been a guy that has, I think, made himself available everybody on the team, whether it’s an offensive player or a defensive player. When somebody comes in and transfers in? Their guard is up. His has always been one where he has been approachable. He has always been somebody that has reached out to others on our football team. I just think that has made our entire team embrace him because he has been so readily available to everybody on our team – not just the offensive players but the defensive players.
“His demeanor, his personality? You see him smiling on the sideline all the time. That’s the way he is whether he’s in meetings, whether he’s in the football building. He has that personality and I think it’s infectious.”
Those sorts of things may not win a player awards and don’t show up on the stat sheet, but it’s clear that he has the respect of his coaches and his teammates – and those intangibles will go a long way in his career.
[On3]