On Saturday, December 10, 2023, LSU quarterback capped off an amazing season by winning the Heisman Trophy. Daniels, who passed for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns and rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns, is only the third player from LSU to win college football's most prestigious award.
Upon receiving the award, Daniels gave an acceptance speech in which he thanked his father, his mother, his coaches, his teammates, and several other people who helped him to win the Heisman. Below is the video of Daniels's acceptance speech. Also included below is the text of that speech, which has been lightly edited for clarity.
Thank you. This is a dream come true. I want to first give thanks to God for all the glory. He's my rock, my savior. He blessed me with the talents and ability to get here (and) all the special people here to develop these skills. To Bo (Nix), Mike (Penix), Marvin (Harrison, Jr.): you guys are amazing. I enjoy watching y'all but the competition is never over. I look forward to seeing you guys on Sundays.
I'd like to start with a few thank you's. I learned from previous winners (that) the first lesson to becoming a great quarterback (is) you got to thank your o-line first. Thank you guys for getting me here today in one piece. I know it wasn't easy. I scramble around a lot, but I love you guys.
I have so many coaches to thank. My high school coach, Coach Nick Rogers, is here. Thank you for believing in a 14-year old freshman to start on varsity. I probably weighed 140 pounds. I appreciate you. Taylor Kelly: thank you for helping me elevate my game, taking me to new heights and the next level.
I want to thank Herm Edwards, Marv Lewis and Antonio Pierce. Thank you for your leadership and welcoming me when I was at ASU, thank you for giving me the keys to the program.
To Coach Kelly, Coach Frank, Coach Denbrock, Coach Sloan, and the rest of LSU football staff: Thank you for trusting me to lead your team. I learned so much from you guys. You took a kid from the West Coast and brought me back down to the bayou. I'm forever thankful.
I want to thank every single LSU fan for having my back. I have never seen fans pouring their hearts into a team like LSU. I really wish I could have brought you back another championship, but that was my plan, but God has other plans for me.
This is wild!
I want to thank all my teammates from Arizona State to LSU. You're my brothers. You work so hard every day and inspire me to be my best. The truth is I will truly miss all you guys. Having future NFL players on my team makes my job look easy. My receivers always say this: they're like Waffle House; they're always open.
I also want to acknowledge all the unsung heroes of this game: trainers, nutritionists, equipment managers, groundskeepers, janitors, security, everybody--basically everyone who worked behind the scenes to make sure our support is the greatest on Earth. I know sometimes it's a thankless job, so I want to say thank you."
Finally, I'd like to turn to my family. Dad, you know, you put a football in my hands when I was young. I know you raised me to be a corner, but hopefully now the decision to play quarterback paid off. You taught me how to play lead and be calm no matter the situation, and I know I wouldn't be on the stage if it wasn't for you, so thank you. I love you.
My rock, my mama. You were so nervous when I was playing my first high school game that, you know, you couldn't even watch my first high school touchdown. You closed your eyes, but after that you never took your eyes off the field. You've always had my best interest at heart from day one, and you showed me that tough love when I needed it. You instilled in me the hard work mentality that got me here, and you always you always told me keep my eyes on the prize. You encouraged me to always bet on myself because you always believed in me no matter what. I graduated in three years because that's something that you pushed me to do. Here and now, I'm on this stage, and I love you, mama. Thank you.
I want to shout out one more person: Sherman Wilson. He's in the stands somewhere. Thank you for everything you done for me, bro, you know, pushing me no matter what. You might be annoying, but you know I love you, dog.
Being a college athlete and winning this award has been a dream come true. I want to dedicate this award to every boy and girl who has a dream. With faith and hard work, you never know what's possible. They said I was too skinny, so I added weight. Then they said I relied on my legs a little bit too much. So, you know what? I went to work (and) completed all those passes (and) had the season I had. They said I was too quiet, so I became more vocal. I stepped out of my comfort zone, and now I'm here today.
So what did I learn from all this? I learned how to block out the noise; that you can overcome any obstacle; and just be humble, be legendary, and most importantly, you know, be joyful about what you do; and when you get knocked down, get back up, keep smiling, and never give up on your dreams.
I want to end with a special thank you to Greg Brooks, Jr., and his family. You give me inspiration to continue on the journey of greatness and keep fighting.
Thank you.
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