In 2019, LSU football made history, creating a season that, statistically, was near perfect. Led by quarterback Joe Burrow, the stellar, NFL-level roster produced some of the best college football ever played, and fans watched it all unfold.
That same year, over 1,000 miles away, Jayden Daniels began writing the first chapter of his own college career.
And what a story it’s become.
Daniels currently sits in New York City, hoping that his name is the one called when the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner is announced. He’s now considered one of the best quarterbacks in college football history, sitting alongside Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy Winner.
Now, with arguably the biggest night of Daniels’ career approaching, Burrow has been able to use his experiences and offer them up to Daniels as advice.
Burrow texted Daniels before the Heisman Ceremony on Thursday, giving him insight on what he could expect from the weekend.
“He reached out to me yesterday, you know, to give me words of encouragement and stuff like that, just wishing me the best,” Daniels said. “He said, ‘You’re gonna be doing a lot to get your mind prepared.’”
“He was very straightforward about it. You know, he’s like, ‘Just enjoy every little moment because these moments you can’t get back.’”
Burrow has been watching Daniels develop over the last two seasons from afar. He’s been in those same shoes and walked that same path.
Daniels expressed he had previously spoken with Burrow during LSU’s spring game this year, adding that the two have a “building” relationship.
“We both know that we’re very busy human beings,” Daniels said the day before the Heisman ceremony. “But he’s always watching me. He told me that he’s always watching me, no matter if he reaches out or not. He’s always on my side.”
Daniels has been taking Burrow’s advice to heart, reflecting on his college career. Ultimately, however, he still somehow feels as though his journey has been a dream.
“My five years of college, everything I’ve been through, it’s been a surreal moment as it winds down and it comes to an end,” Daniels said.
Daniels’ journey has paralleled Burrow’s in many ways. Both guys came to LSU as transfers, hoping to find success in a bigger capacity on a much bigger stage.
“What led me to leave Arizona State was it was just a lot of uncertainty within the program, and for me, I kind of needed to step out my comfort zone and really just go out there and try something new,” Daniels said in a preseason interview.
Daniels ultimately learned, just as Burrow did, that in Baton Rouge, right outside of that comfort zone, awaited greatness.
