Jayden Daniels: "They live, breathe, and sleep football at LSU."
Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders have already started getting to work preparing for the 2024 NFL season. As the No. 2 pick in the draft a few weeks ago, Daniels enters training camp with lofty expectations and plenty of hype as the reigning Heisman trophy winner while at LSU.
Daniels sat down with Hall of Fame receiver Keyshawn Johnson for nearly an hour interview earlier in the week to talk about his experience at LSU, his preparation for the NFL, Malik Nabers and more. Here are some of the best moments from that interview which you can watch here:
On the difference of playing at LSU…
“It was just different. The football aspect, the resources you had and every day life is nothing but football out there. They live, breathe and sleep football at LSU, so you have to get accustomed to that. If you don’t love football they’re going to run you out of that stadium real fast. The guys you hang with are from the south so football is all they know and is their way of getting out of whatever circumstances they were in. Everyday in practice we’re going back and forth, we’re competing and it just brings that competitive edge out of you. I always had it in me, but being down there you walk around like ‘I have that dog in me’ and if I make a play I’m going to let you know about it.”
What he learned at LSU…
“How it was out there was how it is in the pros where everyone is trying to feed their families. For me, I learned how to deal with different personalities at LSU. I watched Malik Nabers eat and he has a personality on him. We’re chill out here [on the west coast], but out there they’re not. It’s just learning how to deal with everybody.”
On the virtual reality technology he used at LSU…
“Washington already invested in it. It’s the actual scheme in there. If we are playing a big cover three team, they would have different versions of cover three and I’d have to see everything and make the right adjustments and reads before the play, so it’s just another way to prepare mentally before the game without putting wear and tear on your body and your arm.”
On being coached by Kliff Kingsberry…
“It’s different from the air raid. We’re not going to throw the ball 50 times per game. Kliff is open minded. Having conversations with him about what I like and how we can make the offense better. I like his scheme, honestly. It suits me and we have to evolve with the times and keep a balance on offense with those athletes out there.”
On Malik Nabers…
“He is a true LSU receiver. No DB can guard him. He’ll let them know. He believes he’s always open and he’s a competitor. I think he’s similar to Ja’Marr Chase just with how explosive they are.”
