Courtney Daniel’s life has been centered around the game of football. The former Putnam County star and 2006 graduate has loved the game since he was a child in Eatonton. Now, Daniel is getting to make an impact in others’ lives as he’s transitioned from making a difference on the field as a player to making an impact on the sideline as a coach.
He’s currently working at Gordon State University, where he is the linebackers coach. His journey from being a player to a coach started more than a decade ago, though.
“In 2006, I graduated from Putnam County High School and left Eatonton,” Daniel said.
“I ended up going to Fort Valley State University, where I played football there for four years. I also ended up getting a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from there.”
Daniel had NFL aspirations, which led him to the professional level following his career at FVSU. He went on to play at the professional level in both the Arena Football League and Canadian Football League for a number of years. Daniel had stints with the Greene Bay Blizzard in the AFL and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL.
“In 2016, I had a knee injury and was in Greene Bay, as a matter of fact. It pretty much was careerending for me. I knew I probably couldn’t come back from it,” Daniel said.
“I had the option to either have the surgery, or try to go through rehab and opt to not have the surgery. I just never got back to 100 percent after that, so I ended up being released and sent home. After that, man, I had a disconnect from the game” Daniel then joined the workforce for a few years until a coaching opportunity came to be. A few of the coaches at Gordon State University reached out to him to join their staff.
Daniel was offered the linebackers coach position at Gordon State by Tim Schelley and Kevin Adkins. He, alongside a few others, was tasked with building the program from scratch.
“It was a great opportunity to get back close to the game, man,” Daniel said.
“It was kind of hard being away from it, especially because I had been around it for so long. I had invested so much time into it and it was hard to separate myself [from it].”
Now, Daniels finds it rewarding to give back and help kids live out their dreams, he said.
“It’s great, man, because I feel as if I am making an impact in their lives,” Daniels added. “It’s also bigger than football when you’ve been through things and giving them knowledge, not just with ball, but [also] life. I’m not too much older than our players.
Most of them, they’re like 10-12 years younger than me. I’m not too far removed [from the game] versus the older guys, the older coaches. I feel like they [the players] relate to me a little bit more and quicker than they would the older coaches.”
Daniel hopes to make his players at Gordon State better on the field and in the classroom, he said.
“I can give them my perspective on things and what they should and shouldn’t do,” Daniel added. “I let them know the consequences that come with bad decisions, and things that I faced, that they could [also] possibly experience. I’m just trying to lead them in the right direction. Like I said, it can be hard out here. So, I feel like if they have that guidance from someone they can speak to and feel comfortable with, just being able to talk to, beyond football makes them just that much more content [with me].”
Daniel credits his success - as both a player and coach - back to his roots, which is Putnam County. He actively follows the War Eagles and is a huge fan of what Shaun Pope has done. Daniels currently coaches one of Pope’s former players in Cedrion Brundage.
“I’ve actually been following some of the guys like Darrell Bland Jr.
I’ve also been watching him closely. Also, with [Jalon] Kilgore, of course.
He’s a big name,” Daniel said. “Definitely, with the coaching staff as well, man. Kedric Manning and I are actually good friends. I’ve definitely been in tune with how things are going at Putnam.”
Daniel hopes that his opportunity with Gordon State could open up the door for current athletes at Putnam County and other area programs to play at the college level.
“Gordon State is a junior college, so when I do my recruiting, we get our kids signed out to Divison I and II schools,” Daniel said. “I do get film and throw in names of kids back from Eatonton. So, there have been a couple of players whose names I have thrown into the mix since getting the job here [at Gordon State].”
Daniel’s family recently got a chance to see him coach as the Highlanders played at Georgia Military College this past Saturday. Despite the 20-3 outcome in favor of the Bulldogs, he enjoyed having his family and friends see him in action for Gordon State.
Daniel got to travel back to Eatonton the night before and spend time with them, he said.
“It was actually exciting to come back, man” Daniel added. “I had a good bit of support in the stands. So, I was happy to see that, especially after being on the road so much and not being as close. I got to see a bunch of people that I hadn’t seen in a while. I actually went back the night before and spent some time with them after the game as well.”