The "Other Cowboy" in the Draft Has a Little Bit of Red in His Blood Now
STILLWATER -- At first, Darrion Daniels thought his college career was over too soon. The 3-1 Cowboys had just lost their Big 12 opener to Texas Tech in Stillwater and were pushing forward to a road game at Kansas to put a mark on the right side in conference play. During practice on Tuesday senior defensive tackle Darrion Daniels got his finger tangled in the jersey of an offensive lineman in a drill and knew from the pain he had done something really wrong. The glue and the veteran of a defensive line that was thin was done for the season.
"My father was the first one that told me that I was going to have season ending surgery," Daniels recounted in a radio interview with Triple Play Sports Radio. "I was there with the trainers and they were telling me that I could play with it clubbed up, after they told me I could lose the use of the finger if I didn't get the surgery immediately. My father called and told me that I was going to (get the surgery) miss the rest of my season."
Daniels thought at the time that it was over, college football was done. A year and a half later it is over after a graduate season at Nebraska. The big, friendly gregarious Daniels is waiting for word this weekend where he will play football next. Scouts.inc have Daniels ranked as the 191st best prospect. Todd McShay has Daniels the same and the 15th best defensive tackle in the NFL Draft. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has Daniels as the 24th best defensive tackle prospect. To give you a comparison, Oklahoma State corner A.J. Green is ranked 167 overall by Scouts.inc and McShay and Kiper Jr. has Green at 201 overall and Daniels outside the top 300.
How did it happen that Daniels played another season seeing new teams and he admits a new style, a slower style of football in the Big Ten?
"My brother called me to check on me and was doing his brother duties to make sure I was okay," Daniels continued with the day he got hurt. Then close to the end of the conversation he kind of slipped it in there, 'you have another year, right?' You should come play up here (Nebraska) with me.'
"At the time I told myself I wasn't leaving, Oklahoma State is my home and I wasn't going anywhere," Daniels remembered. He just told me to think about it."
Daniels said he did. He knew he could help his brother become a better player. He said he discussed it with teammates, friends, and coaches. Some said stay put, but others said you'll probably never get another chance to play with your brother. Daniels said that yes, when he decided to join his brother in Nebraska that his mom may have been the happiest as the family would be together on Saturdays.
Daniels finished his one season as a Husker making the honorable mention All-Big Ten team as voted by the coaches. He had 34 total tackles with 19 unassisted, 1.5 sacks, and his first career interception against Purdue. Nebraska finished 5-7 and 3-6 in conference play, so for the first time in his career there was no bowl game.
In his three plus seasons at Oklahoma State, Daniels had 64 tackles and two sacks.
What showed how strong he was in winning his new teammates over was the fact they voted him a captain.
"I have to admit there were tears rolling down my face when I heard them announce me as a captain," Daniels said. "I came in and tried to push guys and let them know I sincerely was trying to help them get better. I think that won them over."
Now, Daniels is hoping he won over some NFL team enough to draft him. He was at the Senior Bowl and then also was invited and worked out at the NFL Combine. Those numbers were solid with a 5.18 in the forty, 27-inch vertical jump, 109-inches on the broad jump, and 21 reps on the bench press test.
"It's actually been very good from my perspective and I've been enjoying it," Daniels said of the draft process. "I would say it is going pretty good up to this point, developing my body. I've been hearing some good stuff and some constructive criticism. Going into the Draft I'm really confident and I'm sure I will get my name called."
That likely won't happen until Saturday and I would venture that his name will be called after fellow DFW-Metroplex native A.J. Green. When it is called, the school listed will be Nebraska, but I'm sorry I will think about those three plus years at Oklahoma State and now that Darrion Daniels bleeds orange, at least mostly.
"Very definitely," he responded when I told him that. He knows where he has been and who he is. Part Husker, but mostly Cowboy.
