Dakereon Joyner running 'daddy day care' in May
Dakereon Joyner’s daughter is now two months old. With spring football wrapped up in Columbia, that means Gamecocks players have the month of May to themselves. They will use that time to rest, recover, and train on their own.
For Joyner, it’s a bit different. He will have some additional duties.
“The month of May, full-time dad. Daddy day care, for sure,” he said during an appearance on the Garnet Trust Hour on 107.5 The Game. “In the morning time, I try to get up early and get my rehab in and make sure my body is taken care of. Most of the day, I’m being a dad.”
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During the spring, Joyner was balancing being a father as well as going through spring practices, which included continuing to battle through injury and making a transition to running back.
Needless to say, there was not much sleep going on at his home.
“No one speaks on the hard. It’s really, really hard, too. It’s definitely hard, but it’s beautiful,” said Joyner. “It’s definitely been exciting. It definitely has its days, but it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. She came into my life at a perfect time. Everything happens for a reason. I’m grateful to have her by my side. She keeps me going every single day.”
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In the days after Joyner found out he was going to be a dad, he leaned on fellow Gamecocks offensive player Josh Vann – also the father of a little girl – for some advice.
“When I found out she was going to be a girl, that’s the first person I went to. Having someone to bounce ideas off early on benefited me a lot,” Joyner explained.
As he continues to learn his daughter, the sixth-year senior has found out that she seems to enjoy his presence.
“I’m kind of still trying to figure out what’s her little tactic. She loves when I hold her. That’s a good and a bad thing,” he laughed. “She’s definitely a daddy’s girl. She’s always looking at my face, she doesn’t nap during the day.”
Joyner was blown away by the support from Gamecocks fans when he posted his baby registry online. For a period of a couple weeks, he arrived home daily to a new stack.
“I was very grateful for everything everyone sent me. It was from my whole door to the top of my porch. It was loaded” he said. “I appreciate it so much That meant a lot to me and my family. You don’t see that happen often. I’ve been so grateful for what Gamecock nation has done for me, the amount of respect they show me, the love they show me.”
