Collinsville’s Ben Daniels
During a player’s career on the gridiron, many memories are made with teammates from moments on the field to the bus rides and moments in the locker room. For Collinsville’s Ben Daniels who has played football since kindergarten, the most memorable moments involve the youth teams that he once belonged to.
“I started playing football when I was in kindergarten, and I will be a senior this upcoming season. I played up with the second graders for a year,” Daniels said. “A moment that sticks out to me the most is the youth football players giving us high-fives and hyping us up before a game. I just love that they look up to us as high schoolers.”
For Daniels, being a member and upperclassman for the Cardinals is special and the support the team receives from the community is unmatched.
“What makes Collinsville a great place to play is the community; it is definitely one of the best in Oklahoma. The coaches also make you love the game even more than you could imagine. When they yell your name, you know you are getting coached and not in trouble. They break down every step, so it is super easy to achieve,” said Daniels.
As a receiver on offense, and a defensive back on defense, Daniels made a major impact on offense with 1,120 yards on 63 receptions with 11 TDs. On defense, Daniels has 95 tackles, seven interceptions and one TD to his credit.
“The position I play is slot and free safety. I have improved on my routes and getting off the line for receiver. As for safety, I don’t back pedal as much so I can hit the hole faster if it’s a run,” said Daniels.
To prepare himself for competition, Daniels like many of his peers, enjoys listening to music and clearing his head.
“How I mentally prepare for my game is with music. I am always nervous before a game, so calm music is my way to go. Also, a good subway sandwich is something I like to eat before a game,” Daniels said. “Something that has changed is watching film. Whenever I first started playing football, I never watched it. Now I do all the time. Film is one of the best things to do when you play football because you learn how the other players move and what moves they like to make on you.”
Daniels passion for his team and teammates is obvious and deciding to transfer to Collinsville as a freshman turned out to be a great decision for Daniels and his family.
“Our team has each other’s backs. We will always bring each other up. The biggest risk I took was transferring schools. I transferred from Verdigris the end of my freshman year. I will say it was a hundred percent worth it,” Daniels said. “My biggest influence is my dad; he is always there for me and helps with anything I need, and he also helps with my college recruiting!”
