Brian Kelly explains how Jayden Daniels has grown this season at LSU
For LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, it was a Heisman Trophy-winning season. Even with how phenomenal he was throughout the year, head coach Brian Kelly has Sean him grow throughout the season.
Kelly explained that one of the most notable ways that Daniels has grown is as a leader and maturing as a person.
“You hope and you want to design a culture and an atmosphere for your players on a day-to-day basis to be held accountable, to make good choices, and to be surrounded by others to do the same thing,” Brian Kelly said. “I think his time here has allowed him to strengthen his accountability, his choices, and that’s what we have tried to put forth since we got here and I think he’s a product of that, and he’s influenced others around him.”
This was Jayden Daniels’ second season at LSU. He transferred into the program from Arizona State and Brian Kelly emphasized that his jump on the field was in large part because of his growth off the field.
“So, you know that you’re making progress within your program when you see the maturation of a guy like Jayden Daniels because not only does it happen off the field, it happens on the field. That’s what we keep trying to tell our players,” Kelly said.
“Like what you do in the classroom and how you handle yourself on a day-to-day basis will have a direct correlation to what you do on the field and he is that example of how he is handling himself off the field, how he handles himself in his day-to-day routines has had a direct correlation in how he’s played the game.”
It was a phenomenal season on the field for Jayden Daniels. He completed 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. All of that culminated in the Heisman Trophy.
Jayden Daniels gave everything to college football, LSU
After winning the Heisman Trophy, Jayden Daniels went on The Paul Finebaum Show. There, he said he gave everything to college football and LSU in particular.
“I gave college football everything I had, especially at LSU. I poured my heart into this university. I’m excited as the future moves on for my next journey and adventure, but I just love being here. I love building relationships in college football. Those are the times you don’t get back,” Daniels said.
“This past season was fun. We didn’t have the team success that we wanted to, but we still have a chance to go out there and end the season with a bang and win 10 games and end things like that. So, I was just happy that we were in a position to set LSU up for the future.”