Only 5 years old, Damion Daniels had to begin his youth football career playing flag football. He wanted more, though.
Playing with the Oak Cliff Hurricanes, a youth football organization in Dallas, Damion watched on adjacent fields, where older boys wore pads and ran through pillows. They were more physical. They tackled.
One day, an envious Damion looked over and noticed those players, including his 7-year-old brother, Darrion Daniels, running what he called “big man” or “tough man” drills. Their father, Tony Daniels, a former All-American defensive lineman at Texas Tech, coached Darrion’s team.