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Clay Bignell knew MJ Daniels for only a few months but had glowing things to say about him after Friday’s Southern Miss football preseason practice.
Hired as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach from Eastern Illinois in December, Bignell spoke with reporters for the first time on the loss of Daniels, who was shot and killed on June 11 in Hattiesburg.
Daniels, 21 and from Lucedale, transferred to Southern Miss from Ole Miss in 2023. He played cornerback last season but had switched to Bignell’s group as a safety in the spring.
“I loved him immediately,” Bignell said. “He was a guy that just knew the game so well, so like you were talking and having a conversation on a different level than a lot of different guys. And that dude was just instinctual. It’s just a guy that you love to coach, and you just keep building, molding and looking forward to that and then obviously it’s just terrible what happened. I loved being around the kid every day. Infectious smile, infectious personality and loved the game. Definitely going to miss the hell out of him.”
Four teenagers were arrested and all charged as adults with capital murder in connection to the shooting. They are currently going through their preliminary court hearings and were denied bonds.
One of Daniels’ best on-field traits was his athleticism, a part of why he moved to safety. He played in all 12 games last season and made 28 tackles with four pass breakups, forced two fumbles and tied for a team-high with three interceptions.
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Bignell said Daniels’ death has challenged the team’s depth at safety, where he was expected to be a starter. Three safeties — Elijah Sabbatini, Ques McNeal and Sentario Willis — are all working back from torn ACLs…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-southern-miss-football-defensive-172333016.html
Author : Hattiesburg American
Publish date : 2024-08-02 17:23:33
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