Well Earned Award - An Article by Jim Gazzolo

When Jayden Daniels left Arizona State for LSU few knew his name. 

He wasn’t even expected to be the Tigers’ starting quarterback at first. 

Instead, Daniels was considered an interesting piece to the LSU quarterback puzzle. 

Last year he showed he could run a team and win a starting job. He made the Tiger offense fun to watch with both his arm and leg, but hardly was he to be considered much more than a good player.

Even at the start of this season, before any of the games even took place, Daniels was considered good but not great. He was overlooked when experts talked of college football’s elite quarterback.

There were even some who didn’t think Daniels was the best on his own team still.

Yet each week the fifth-year player went about his business and put monster numbers on the scoreboard even if the LSU defense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.

In the end Daniels proved he was just too good to be ignored, too good to be overlooked and too good to be passed by.

Last Saturday night in New York, LSU’s dazzling dual-threat quarterback proved everybody wrong, walking off with college football’s greatest award, the Heisman Trophy.

He became the second LSU player to win it in the last four years and third overall. 

Daniels joins Tiger legends Billy Cannon (1959) and Joe Burrow (2019) as Heisman winners from Baton Rouge. That means he won’t be forgotten anytime soon in this college football crazy sport.

“This is a dream come true,” is how Daniels began his acceptance speech. 

For opposing defenders Daniels has been a nightmare to try and stop. If he didn't beat you with his arm he would do it with his legs. For him, every play was a potential touchdown.

Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and ran for another 1,134, leading the nation in total offense with 412 yards per game. He also averaged a mind-blowing 10.71 yards a play. 

He ended the 12 games with 50 touchdowns. 

Usually the Heisman winner picks up late votes by playing in big games that define the national championship race. Daniels didn’t get that help. The Tigers lost two of their first six games and were out of title contention by Halloween.

That makes his victory all that more earned. 

Daniels received 2,029 points after picking up 503 first-place votes. That outpaced Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., who was second with 292 first-place votes and 1,701 total points.

“I wasn’t really like, emotional, like crying,” Daniels said. “I guess it’s kind of how I play on the field. I’m just enjoying the moment, just embracing everything, giving thanks to God.”

To see Daniels win the Heisman with little if any preseason hype is refreshing. It shows the way somebody plays matters and it’s not just a popularity contest.

LSU fans may not get to see Daniels in a Tiger uniform again. He has not decided if he will play against Wisconsin the LSU’s bowl game on Jan. 1.

That’s to be expected. Players often opt out of non-playoff bowl games to get ready for the NFL draft.

That will be too bad in this case though, because unlike some others, Daniels earned his Heisman on the field and by the numbers.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles.