Former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels said Wednesday his time as a Sun Devil was the foundation for the NFL career he’s grown into.
“Started all this, laid the foundation. Obviously the people that recruited me here, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me in my football career,” said Daniels, who played in Tempe from 2019-21. “And the relationships that I’ve made off the field here, still cherish them to this day.”
The No. 2 overall pick, Daniels is practicing in Tempe with the Washington Commanders this week ahead of a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. He said he still has a good relationship with Herm Edwards, who was at the helm as ASU was hit with NCAA infractions for recruiting violations under his watch.
“I’m always talking to Herm. Love Herm. He recruited me here,” Daniels said. “Phenomenal head coach, phenomenal man. Looked out for me while I was here. I still talk to him today so that dynamic’s still there.”
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels discussed his departure from ASU and how much Herm Edwards means to him. pic.twitter.com/8LOW3e06uq
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He said name, image and likeness (NIL), which saw its influence grow while Daniels was in college, did not play a factor in his decision to leave ASU after the 2021 season for LSU, where he won the Heisman Trophy last year.
“It didn’t mean nothing to me. My time here was great, but I didn’t leave for any NIL purposes or things like that. NIL didn’t really have that much of an impact on me,” Daniels said. “But I’m never against players making money off their name, image and likeness. Just know what’s the end goal for you.”
He instead said the move gave him the chance to find himself, both as a man and a football player, after his arrival at ASU was his first time being on his own.
What did Jayden Daniels enjoy most about his time at Arizona State?
Although his Sun Devil tenure had bitter endings, ASU had a real moment developing pros under Edwards. Daniels listed Brandon Aiyuk, Rachaad White and Ricky Pearsall as three players he was proud to grow with.
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“It’s awesome. It started here, we grew up and to see everybody live out their dreams, those are brothers to me,” Daniels said.
Aiyuk and Pearsall were each first-round picks and White was picked in the third, while Daniels was the No. 2 overall pick after winning the Heisman Trophy at LSU.
The quarterback pointed to an upset win over Oregon in which he won Pac-12 Player of the Week as a freshman among the moments that stand out to him from his time. He said his rapport with Aiyuk helped set up the game-winning touchdown the two connected on.
The other highlight Daniels pointed to from over his ASU career?
“Being undefeated versus Arizona,” Daniels said, the 70-7 win in 2020 included.
Overall, the quarterback had positive feelings about being back in his old stomping grounds.
“It’s cool, first time back in a while, being able just to walk around here and re-live some memories in my head,” Daniels said Wednesday. “But the main thing is to focus on the Arizona Cardinals.”
Daniels will lead the Commanders into State Farm Stadium on Sunday for a 1:05 p.m. MST matchup with the Cardinals. Listen to play-by-play coverage on the Arizona Sports app, online or on 98.7.