8. Randall McDaniel was weekend's biggest star. With all due respect to Powell and Stanley and Neal, by far the biggest headliner of the weekend was NFL Hall of Fame lineman Randall McDaniel, who was honored by the AIA. I knew little about McDaniel until he spoke at Friday's press conference in front of all four teams and about 400 people. He was an offensive lineman after all and we all know how they live in obscurity compared to the skill guys.
Randall McDaniel was honored before
the Gorman-Chaparral game.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
After listening to him speak for 45 minutes, I wish I knew his story earlier. More importantly, I wish all young student athletes could hear his life tale. He's truly an inspirational gentleman not because he professed any long odds of overcoming poverty or physical limitations or childhood disease or abuse.
McDaniel just did everything right. He has lived his life to the fullest. He never missed a day of school. He built and treated his body like a temple. He always wanted to be involved.
And though he lived quite passionately, McDaniel didn't come across as a motivational speaker. Not by any stretch. He seemed very nervous and certainly not polished while reading his very poignant messages, which is very effective when speaking with teens. They can spot phonies or manipulators five miles away. McDaniel is genuine, real, gritty and most of all strong. Very strong. Literally.
He attended
Agua Fria (Avondale, Ariz.) and was – and still is – a physical freak. Despite his size (6-3, 287) he ran a 4.68 40, bench pressed 425, squatted 640 and dead-lifted 650. A track and field star, his best times were 10.60 in the 100 meters and 21.90 in the 200.
A model of consistency, McDaniel made 202 consecutive starts and made 12 consecutive Pro Bowls. He also never missed a day of school from kindergarten through high school. He was the first in his family to ever earn a college degree.
McDaniel seemed humbled by his honor
even after inductions to the NFL,
college football and high school
halls of fame.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
Now a second-grade teacher, McDaniel still wakes at 4 a.m. to train before school. He's not a color commentator. He hasn't used his fame to sell cars or put his name on some marketing firm. He's giving back — fittingly in the trenches, where few male role models live. We young males need influencing the most.
His most general message was: "Put as much effort into the classroom as you put into athletics," he said.
He noted the very long odds of high school players making it all the way to the NFL – about 1 percent of the 1.2-million playing today. Out of the 300 players in the room, only about 18 even get to play in college. "Use sports and all that you learn from it to have a successful life," he said. "Football can open many doors but eventually those doors will close."
Asked if he had any regrets during his career, he said. "Absolutely none. I wouldn't change a thing. If you're playing before 70,000 or 80,000 fans every Sunday how can you not have fun? Every day was a ball."
