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Daniels Remains Grounded Despite First-Year Success

Arizona Sports News online

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

As the most decorated quarterback recruit in Arizona State history, Jayden Daniels did more than live up to the hype his first season in Tempe.

The southern California native threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns, while rushing for three more scores. Most importantly, he was intercepted just twice in 338 attempts.

Daniels earned freshman All-American honors by ESPN just days before leading the Sun Devils to a Sun Bowl win over Florida State in a game he was named the C.M. Hendrix MVP.

However, he’s quick to point the mistakes he made in his stellar true freshman season last fall behind center.

“Most definitely,” Daniels said in a recent interview with Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat. “Always gotta be a hard critic on yourself. There are a couple plays I missed. I owe Frank [Darby] a couple of touchdowns. I owe Brandon [Ayuk] a couple of touchdowns.”

Now he’s had to adapt to life both on and off the field, including surrounding himself with the people who truly have his best interests in mind.

“Once you get older, more success starts to come,” Daniels explained. “You have to look at your circle and see who’s really there for you and who’s there to hinder you and try to hold you back.”

Daniels believes he will step into a greater leadership role with a full year of experience under his belt.

ASU started their spring football workouts on Monday morning and open the 2020 season at home against NAU on September 3rd.

A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.

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