JT Daniels and teammates head to California
Quarterback JT Daniels was not kidding when he told reporters in early April that he planned on becoming the best leader, on and off the field, that he could possibly be.
With players now on a brief break following their recent final exams, Daniels and a host of his offensive teammates are taking the opportunity to get in some extra work back in the quarterback’s home state of California.
“Obviously, your role expands the more you play, and you just have a bigger platform in that area. But I think since I've been here, I've always tried to take the approach of, first, leading by example,” Daniels told reporters back in early April. “Then, I think once you earn a certain level of trust from your teammates seeing how you work, and knowing that you're here for them, you can start being more vocal and doing more things."
Having some of his teammates come out West would appear to follow along those lines.
Word of the junket first became apparent on players’ respective Instagram pages, and later confirmed by a person familiar with the trip to UGASports.
Players confirmed to be attending include wide receivers Kearis Jackson, Jermaine Burton, Jaylen Johnson, Justin Robinson, Adonai Mitchell, Braxton Hicks, and Ladd McConkey, along with tight ends John FitzPatrick and Darnell Washington, and running backs James Cook and Kendall Milton, who also hails from California.
Wide receivers Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Dominick Blaylock, who continue to rehab their respective injuries, and Arian Smith, currently running track for UGA, are not attending.
Hearing that Daniels invited his cohorts out for more bonding and voluntary workout sessions does not come as a surprise.
“Typically, I've always been just more of a laid-back kind of guy, especially on the field. I'm never a hype man. That's just not my thing, but I've put more effort into not just words of encouragement but trying to keep everyone focused and on-task,” Daniels said. “If someone isn't doing the right thing, I'm going to tell them they're not doing the right thing. If I'm not doing the right thing, someone is going to tell it to me, and I have to take criticism the same way I dish it out. There's just a lot of areas of leadership that I've tried to take a step in."
