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Daniels, Iowa set for Stanford
Former Warren Harding RB helped
Hawkeyes secure Rose Bowl berth
By Brian Dzenis
LeShun Daniels Jr. has made peace with the fact he won’t be the player his father was.
Most of LeShun Daniels Sr.’s size went to LeShun Jr.’s younger brother, James Daniels, but at 6-foot, 220 pounds, he’s no runt. As the son of a former NFL offensive lineman, the Warren Harding grad has carved out an identity as a quality running back at Iowa.
“I’ll take being one of the best athletes in the family and I have no problem with that,” Daniels Jr. said.
Along with Michigan State’s L.J. Scott, Indiana’s Devine Redding and Michigan’s De’Veon Smith, Daniels joins a cast of Mahoning Valley running backs playing in bowls this winter. The No. 6 Hawkeyes are facing No. 5 Stanford in the Rose Bowl, a big bowl that serves as a consolation prize for missing out on a College Football Playoff spot.
Scott, a Hubbard grad, made sure Iowa was on the outside after his game-winning touchdown in the Big Ten Championship, won by the Spartans, 16-13. Daniels is disappointed with the loss, but has come to expect big things from area backs.
“There’s a lot of talented guys in that area that obviously like to work hard and have big aspirations,” Daniels said. “For us to be able to go out there and be able to play the way that we do, I think we’ve made everyone in the area happy.
“I know I’ve made a few Hawkeye fans out there [happy] than maybe there have been before.”
Daniels and his teammates have probably won over fans nationwide as one of the college football’s unexpected success stories. Iowa has produced some middling results this decade, failing to finish the season in the Top 25 for the past five seasons before an undefeated regular season in 2015. The Hawkeyes are 12-1.
“We came back in January. We reflected on last year and it was nowhere near the standard that Iowa football standards should be at,” The junior back said. “We basically started from the bottom up, making sure that we were working hard and that we were carrying that momentum through spring ball and summer conditioning and camp.
“We weren’t surprised at our success this fall because we’ve seen how hard we’ve worked in the preseason and [our record] shows the hard work and dedication paid off.”
Iowa’s 40-10 win against Northwestern on Oct. 17 was a watershed moment. The Hawkeyes were down five starters to injuries, including Daniels and fellow running back Jordan Canzeri, but showed they had the depth as well as the talent to get the job done.
“The time we thought we had something special was probably after the Northwestern game,” Daniels said. “To go up there as the away team and play the way we did, it gave us plenty of momentum going into the bye week and going into the second half of the season.”
Like most backfields in the Big Ten, Iowa’s is by committee. Daniels and Canzeri both have 100-plus carries, with Daniels boasting 609 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. As many as four different backs can get the ball, but the competition has made them thrive, Daniels said.
“We’re all close-knit but we’re all competitive,” he said. “When we’re out there in practice, we’re obviously trying to do better than the other backs we have on the roster. In the end on game day, we’re always rooting for each other to be successful and I think that’s why we have so many talented guys back there that have done good things.”
Iowa is a lock to finish this season ranked and get a shot to end one of the program’s best years on a high note.
“I’m excited that we’ve had such a fantastic season and I’m happy I have the chance to get back to work and play another quality opponent in Stanford,” Daniels said.